Apocryphal Gallery
by Just Call Me Endy
Summary: I guess if there's one thing I've learned, it's that we all have our images to hide behind. It's like inviting someone into a museum to look at all of the pretty paintings of fake people, because it's not often that you meet someone who wants to take the picture down and look past the lies at what's waiting behind it. And that includes yourself.
1. Rough Sketch

**Hi there. I wrote a thing. I hope you enjoy it. Also it's a modern AU, just in case there was some confusion. Yep.**

**Legal Disclaimer**

The following is a work of derivative fiction. The author of this work claims no ownership over the characters and settings associated with _How to Train Your Dragon _and _Rise of the Guardians_, nor does the author claim ownership of the associated source material therein. The material found on through this work is not intended to infringe upon copyright, and the aforementioned titles are the sole legal property of their respective Copyright Holders. Please support the official release.

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**Chapter 1**

**Rough Sketch**

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Cresting over the distant horizon was a bright, vivid glimmer, peeking above the surface of the cold Atlantic sea as it shed its light across the slowly awakening town of white. The rising sun climbed steadily at first, only daring to share a sparse few of its rays with the sleeping world, but then it was as though its progress could not be more expedient, as the golden disc shot up past the dark blues on the horizon and lit up the world with its full glory, causing the blanket of fresh snow that covered homes, businesses, sidewalks and streets to glisten with a breathtaking radiance. Pity that there were so few awake to appreciate it just yet. Among the many structures cloaked in white and now bathed in glow was a large, sturdy-looking home, though in spite of its appearance, which seemed to assure it could withstand the elements with no difficulty, it also boasted a certain elegance to it, a finely designed _character _that may have suggested money, or status, though not without a fair share in humility as evidenced by the mostly subdued architecture. The house overlooked an average lawn, though its usual green verdure was currently draped in a soft screen of white, and also laid claim to a driveway of decent size, easily capable of playing host to an automobile or two. Up in one of the home's second story windows, a curtain could be seen fluttering open as a Burmese feline propped itself up on the windowsill, eyes narrowing in apparent relaxation at the feel of the sun's rays on its face.

Turning away from the window, the cat let out mighty 'meow' at a mass of something or other that was presently huddled up in a mess of blankets on a nearby bed. As it turned out, the mass was a person, who groaned in response.

"Toothless come on, not right now."

The cat, Toothless, was not having any of this nonsense.

It leaped from the windowsill to the bed, jumping on the boy and sinking its claws in through the sheets, kneading the boy like dough in a most uncomfortable fashion.

"A-ah, ow! What, Toothless! No!" This seemed to be all the motivation necessary to get the boy beneath the sheets to sit up, pushing the black cat away with a huff. "Alright, I'm up!" He called, running a hand over his freckled face and shooting the Burmese a glare. Shaking it off the boy stood up and stretched, releasing a mighty yawn and scratching his stomach a bit before immediately curling in on himself and rubbing his arms against each other. "Yeesh, it's cold." He muttered to himself, stepping over to the window Toothless had reclaimed his perch upon and glancing outside.

He smiled when he saw the winter wonderland that waited for him, the rays of the sun lighting it up with an uncanny sparkle that he found to be incredibly beautiful. However, his expression immediately fell when he remembered what this much snow meant for later – shoveling, and lots of it. The situation wasn't helped by the fact that the beautiful, bathing rays of the sun were quickly being stifled by the presence of more clouds that were moving into the sky, threatening to drop yet more frozen stars upon the world below.

He pulled his gaze away from the window, glancing over at his bedside calendar. "Only Tuesday." he sighed, wishing it could at least be nearer to the weekend. Oh, but wait! No. The weekend wasn't going to be that great either, so. Never mind to that. Letting out a breath and flapping his lips a bit, he shuffled his way into the bathroom, running a hand through auburn hair and giving himself a once-over in the mirror. A little run-down looking, but hey, that comes with waking up, right? Hair was messy, green eyes were a little puffy, skin looking a little pale – the freckles stood out more because of that. What he needed was a shower. Clean himself up, let the warm water soak in and brighten him like a chipper little spring flower. Right?

Without wasting another moment, he set about the task of his morning ritual, jumping into the shower and giving his body a cleaning, washing his hair (followed by at least seven minutes of just prolonged soaking under the shower head), before hopping out, toweling off, brushing his teeth, the whole nine yards.

And then he stepped back into the biting chill of his room, with only a towel wrapped around his waist. Smart move. Seventeen winters in Berk and still, he would never be quite used to that cold that seemed to be everywhere year-round. It was honestly a little ridiculous. The temperature everywhere else in Maine seemed a hell of lot more moderated than here, in this cozy little piece heaven, where a frost hung in the air across nine months of the year, the prelude to a powerful snow that buried the town for the other three. But hey, he certainly couldn't complain about it. After all, wouldn't wanna give the big rough, tough Viking residents another reason to roll their eyes at him, or chuckle at his expense, right? After all, if they could handle the cold, why couldn't he? Come on, Hiccup, do your Norwegian Settler ancestors proud, why don't you.

He laughed dryly at himself and shook his head, tossing some stray drops of water about as he moved to his dresser, rifling for a pair of clean clothes. As he searched, a warm, furry mass moved between his legs, bringing a bit of welcome heat to the exposed limbs. He smiled down at the large, purplish-black Burmese, reaching down to scratch at its ears.

"And a proper good morning to you too, Toothless." He might have described his greeting as a chirp, but it was a little too tired-sounding to really count. Turning his attention back to his wardrobe, he found a shirt he liked, figuring it'd go decently enough with a pair of those comfy jeans. He wasn't exactly an expert at coordinating fashion or anything, but he certainly wasn't hopeless. He made quick work of getting dressed, tossing on some undergarments, pants, a sleeveless black shirt beneath his T-shirt (Winter was settling in fast! Layers were kinda necessary), and popped on some socks. He then made his way to his closet to grab his coziest, comfiest, and most understated hooded sweatshirt, colored in a dull, olive green, and wasted no time in wrapping himself up in it. Ah, warmth at last.

Grabbing his wallet and phone off of the nightstand and pocketing them, he made his way over to his desk. A myriad of notebooks lay scattered about, as well as scraps of writing, sketches, and text books. Toothless hopped up on the desk and let his gaze wander around, seemingly enraptured in whatever it was his master was looking at. Hiccup was currently admiring something he'd drawn just last night in an insomnia-fueled quest to satisfy his latest stroke of inspiration. A broad, black dragon with a proud countenance decorated the page, detailed to the last stroke with scales, a measured wingspan, and fierce, intelligent eyes. Eyes that were almost a mirror image of the feline that gazed upon the creature, seemingly proudly. Toothless sat back on his haunches and puffed the fur of his chest out a touch, his eyes closing in apparent bliss. Hiccup smiled and gave the cat a few pets.

"Yes, you're a ferocious little monster, Toothless. Now can you move please, bud? I need that notebook you're sitting on."

Toothless didn't seem as though he wanted to acquiesce, but after a few gentle prods from the boy, the cat took the hint and plucked itself up, stretching languidly and taking his sweet time before finally hopping off the desk. Hiccup rolled his eyes and began to gather the notebooks, text books, and a few of the drawings, placing them into a book bag he had procured from beside his desk.

"I've gotta start getting more organized when I work on this stuff…" he muttered to himself, noting the orderly state that he kept the rest of his room in and inwardly criticizing his carelessness at the messy workspace. His reverie was interrupted, though, as a voice called from downstairs, rather loudly.

"Hiccup! Are you comin' down any time soon, son? Your breakfast is gonna freeze, you know!"

Ah, dad, impatient as usual. Hiccup made quick work of gathering the rest of the belongings he'd need for today's assuredly lovely day of school, and made his way out the door, trudging down the steps at the end of the hallway leading into the his home's den. A quick left at the landing saw to his arrival in the kitchen, a rather ornately designed one at that with some aesthetically pleasing tile and an impressively long table. It seemed that no matter how often Hiccup stepped foot in this kitchen, he'd never stop finding its extravagance a little absurd. It just didn't suit him, and it didn't really suit his dad either, and they both knew it.

But hey, when your father is the great Stoick "The Vast" Haddock, mayor of this lovely town, you simply had to be prepared to entertain "important guests", no matter how much Stoick rather hated bumping elbows with the high and mighty bureaucrats of the surrounding government. He preferred to look at his position more as "chief", and as far as he was concerned, the measure of a good "chief" was in how well he looked out for his town, took care of his people, and helped directly with prosperity, and had nothing to do with how well one campaigned or what phony smiles one could give to government officials. But alas, appearances needed to be kept, and Hiccup could attribute his rather large home to such necessary charades. Still, he had at least tried to pick something relatively subdued when Stoick had asked his opinion on how the kitchen ought to be decorated all those years ago. Looking at the nicely polished, but plainly colored tiles and the basic oak countertops, he'd say he succeeded.

Speaking of his father, the large, _large_ man (certainly gave honor to that title of his), was sitting at the head of table, already half way into his meal when he noticed Hiccup's arrival and gave the boy a nod and a small smirk. "Morning."

"Mornin', dad." Hiccup murmured, taking the seat to his dad's right, where a plate of eggs and leftover fish sat waiting for him, its temperature having cooled from an assumed hot to a dull warm. Stoick had probably been cooking while Hiccup had been showering.

He began to eat his food silently, absently wishing he could maybe move a few seats over, with Stoick somehow not noticing. He didn't like sitting so very close to the large man. It made him feel small – well, small_er_ – by comparison, and he could never shake the impression that his father was always silently scrutinizing him, trying to double check for any changes the boy may have gone through in the hours since he was last seen. Hmmm, hm, ah! Nope. Still the same old talking fishbone.

Stoick cleared his throat as he seemed to slow down in the pursuit of finishing his meal, making the silent air seem more awkward than it had been already. "So…" he tried, and Hiccup resisted the urge to sigh. Here we go. The Haddock men attempt to make small talk. Again.

"So…?"

"I'm going to be pretty occupied today." Stoick began, clapping his hands together as if he was telling some exciting news. "Got to oversee construction on the new storehouse down at the wharf. I swear those men are like chickens running around with their heads cut off without my guiding them." He explained, his thick accent making itself more apparent as his voice picked up luster. Hiccup had to give him credit for trying to sound chipper. He decided he would be pretty crummy if he didn't make an effort in return.

"That's, uh, that's great, dad!" he replied with a very obviously feigned excitement, though Stoick seemed as though he wasn't going to comment on it. "Uh, always, you know, glad to know how important and needed you are around here…" he trailed off, turning his attention back to his eggs.

Stoick nodded, coughing a tad. "Ah, yes, well. Can't be a proper chief without, ah, looking after the,"

"The people." Hiccup cut in, finishing the sentence with an understanding tone.

"The people, yes." Stoick replied quickly, his words stepping over the tail end of Hiccup's before diffusing into awkward silence once more. Stoick drummed his fingers on the table. Hiccup was willing to bet he wasn't done trying, though, and that's a bet he would win. "So! Are there, uh, any upcoming events at school I should know about?"

Hiccup managed a slow, agreeable nod (he thought, anyway) as he swallowed a bite of the cod. Had to hand it to his dad, most people couldn't make leftover fish taste quite as nice as it had when it was first cooked, but that man sure could pull it off. "Yeah, there's a, uh, football game this weekend. I'm sort of on the news crew for it. Gonna be, you know, filming it and stuff, edit it together for the biweekly school news report."

"Ah, I see… Just, uh, just filming it then?" Stoick asked, his voice containing just the barest traces of hope, or perhaps just seeking an affirmation of hopelessness.

"…Yep."

"Ah, alright then."

Hiccup could feel the poorly-concealed disappointment in the man's voice. It made Hiccup want to release the sigh to end all sighs. But, as with most things around his father, he held it in. I mean, come on, he'd survive, right? It was just yet another football game that Hiccup wasn't playing in. It's not like Stoick really expected his son to surprise him with a sudden announcement of 'Hey dad! I spontaneously got on the team! And I'm the star player! And I'll be winning this weekend's game!', did he? Hiccup certainly hoped not.

He gave some consideration to the idea of letting Stoick know about the upcoming art showcase at school that he was set to be featured in. That was something, wasn't it? But chancing a glance up at his dad, the man's eyes downcast dully at his plate as he quietly ate his meal changed Hiccup's mind immediately. He'd already had to disappoint his dad with a reminder of his not-an-athlete son, he didn't suppose he was really looking for an also-I'm-an-artist revelation right now. That was basically the most stereotypically meek hobby Hiccup could think of, frankly, and he didn't think he'd need yet another idea planted in Stoick's head about how his toothpick of a son couldn't lift a hammer.

Of course, that wasn't really true. Hiccup honestly felt like he had plenty of muscle going for him, for someone of his frame at least. He'd done plenty of running for one lifetime, that was for sure, and it's not like he never did any manual labor. But, alas, when you lived in a town where most of the boys your age were twice your size or bigger, having a 'decent' amount of muscle just didn't quite cut it. Especially not when most of the people in this town had a habit of valuing brawn over anything else, and a man's worth was typically decided by what good he could do with his two hands. It was a pretty old-fashioned mindset, but one that had persisted in this town since it was first settled by their Viking Ancestors (supposedly), hundreds of years ago…

Hiccup took another look at his father's downtrodden features and felt his heart sink. He could honestly remember a time when he and Stoick had a much easier time of talking to one another. A time when things weren't so awkward, when Stoick had a better ability at understanding his son. And of course, when Hiccup had a better ability to understand Stoick. The understanding that his mother had fostered between them. Unfortunately, that seemed to have died on the same day she had, and things had never quite been the same since.

Finishing his meal, Stoick rose from the table, clearing his throat as he made to deposit his plate into the sink. "Hiccup, I've got to get an early start on work, gotta get down to the docks. But there's a package I need to have delivered to Gobber's. It's waiting at the rail station. I want you to go and pick it up for me, and have it delivered to Gobber's on your way to school. Can you do that for me?"

"Uh, yeah, sure dad, no problem." Well, it would mean getting an earlier start on leaving the house than he had hoped, but he was rather used to being sent out on errands like this now and then. "I'll handle it."

"Good." Stoick nodded, seemingly pleased, sniffing once audibly as he turned his gaze back onto his son and plucked up a large bag that had been leaning against the kitchen's butcher block, draping it over his shoulder. "I'll leave that in your hands then. It's gonna be snowin' all day, so, careful on your walk to school," he warned with that same trace of awkward, unsaid sentiments in his voice. Something akin to worry as well as despair that his son could be, admittedly, just a little clumsier than he would have liked. "And don't forget to shovel the driveway for me when you get home from school."

"Sure thing." Hiccup nodded again, not looking up from his eggs.

Stoick nodded again and looked away, one hand on his hip as he seemed to search for something else to say. Hiccup couldn't really help with that, as he seemed to lack a closing sentiment as well. The large man scratched his nose a bit and finally settled on grunting out a "Well I'll be off then…" as Hiccup simultaneously muttered a "Yeah, have a good day…"

The two swapped a half-hearted wave as Stoick exited the kitchen, bulky frame barely fitting through the wide entrance. Moments later Hiccup heard the door open and close, and the sound of an engine rumbling as his dad departed.

He let out a breath then, feeling like he could breathe more easily now, only to follow that realization with a swipe of his hand across his face. "I'm a terrible son." He puled to himself, dropping his fork and finding that he no longer had any desire to eat the meal his father had so generously prepared for him. Really, he never failed to feel awful with himself at times like this.

Stoick certainly wasn't the most understanding father in the world, sure, and could be a bit stubborn, stuck on his ways, pig-headed, and sometimes stepped all over Hiccup's dreams, yes. But he still made the effort. He sort of, kind of, in his own Stoick the Vast sort of way, tried to reach out? And Hiccup couldn't exactly say the same for himself. He couldn't honestly claim he made much of an effort to meet his father half way, though that may have had something to do with the fact that if Hiccup even started opening himself up… Well, he was pretty confident that Stoick's opinion of him would just decline to a point even lower than it had been previously.

Well, no sense in continuing to dwell on all of that right now. If he wanted to make sure and complete his father's errand and still make it to school on time, he'd probably need to get going pretty quickly. He got up from the table and brushed his unfinished meal into the garbage with a sigh, leaving the plate in the sink alongside Stoick's and made his way back into the den. His shoes waited for him at the door, and he pulled them on while hollering up the stairs. "Toothless! I'm headin' to school, bud!"

He received a loud meow in response and moments later the cat came rushing down the stairs, immediately pressing his nose into Hiccup's arm as if to urge him to drop what he was doing and pet him. Hiccup chuckled at his furry companion and gave the feline an affectionate rub behind the ears before returning to the task of putting on some shoes. "Gotta go, Toothless." He told the cat, standing up as he secured his shoelaces and opening the door. He muttered a small 'no' to the cat as it tried to follow him out, using his leg to block the opening as he slowly closed the wooden barrier. "Come on, buddy, get your face back indoors," he instructed with a laugh, amused at Toothless's attempts to keep as much of his face in Hiccup's sight as possible before the boy finally managed to close the ingress without catching any feline appendages in its wake. He fumbled about his coat pocket, procuring a set of keys which he used to lock the door behind him, still chuckling when he saw Toothless leap onto the adjacent window sill inside, getting comfortable as he assumed his standard 'seeing Hiccup off' vigil. The boy waved one last time at the cat before finally turning and heading out.

Now that he was outdoors, the amount of snow that had fallen overnight was much more apparent than it had been from his bedroom window. He inwardly groaned, remembering his father mentioning that the snow was going to persist throughout the day. There was already at least half a foot coating almost everything that hadn't been salted the night before, and he cursed his carelessness at having neglected the weather forecast yesterday. He could have perhaps avoided some of the work that the driveway was going to be later if he had had the foresight to coat it in the salty, ice-melting compound.

Still, as he trudged his way through the snow in the direction of Berk's lone rail station, he had to admit it wasn't all bad. He may have harbored a dislike for the work that came with the arrival of snow, but he never really got tired of the beauty of it. The freshly fallen coat held such a pure, untainted look to it, and the icicles hanging delicately from rooftops sparkled in the morning sunlight in the most subtle, beautiful of ways.

By all accounts, his spirits on this walk would probably have been higher if it weren't for his intended destination. "Ugh… of all the errands…" he groaned aloud, keen on talking to himself when no one was around. "I could have been sent to drop off some paperwork to city hall! Sure, it's about a mile out of the way, but who doesn't like a scenic walk?" he remarked sarcastically. "Or I could have been asked to review some of the new floor plans for the storehouses, which would basically entail doing a total revision and keeping me up all night worrying about correcting the flawed designs that Bucket is _still _somehow in charge of!" Hiccup lamented, throwing his arms into the air at the memory of the last time Stoick had awkwardly handed a set of blueprints to him, asking him if he could give them a look over as he felt that 'something was off' with the designs that Bucket, one of the workers down at the docks, had handed him. Oh, something had been off alright. It was a damned deathtrap waiting to be built. "But nooo, I had to get stuck with _this_…" he trailed off.

It wasn't a very long walk, unfortunately, and the rail station was in plain view already. Now, Hiccup had nothing against the rail station, really. After all, it was actually one of the few especially neat things about the town. A train that stopped in every day, picking up exports and dropping off imports, bringing new and exotic things with it and taking the mundane and the everyday that Hiccup was used to away with it. It was a central part of the town, really.

No, he didn't mind the rail station one bit. What he minded was the very idea of interacting with the man who _ran_ it.

As he approached, he could already hear the cantankerous voice shouting orders at an unloading crew, whom were currently occupied carting several large boxes off of an open train car. The voice belonged to a gnarled, contemptuous-looking old man who rested his weight on an equally gnarled staff, clutching it in bony fingers attached to beanpole limbs. He was possessed of a shock of messy, white hair that stuck off his head on either side, flaying out at the tips, and a mustache and beard that fell on either side of his cheeks, hanging low past his shoulders, though leaving his chin bare save for the grizzled stubble that resided there.

"Oh come on then! Put ye backs into it ye bunch of layabowts!" he commanded of them, an accent thicker than Stoick's hanging off of his words. "Why when I was your age, I could lift three times me own weight wi'out battin' an eye, and woulda had this whole car unloaded by now!"

The working men all seemed to be muttering retorts to themselves as they went about their work, but the old man was apparently too wrapped up in his own tragic musings to take notice. "Moi, how the workin' class has declined in its work ethic." He clicked his tongue thrice, shaking his head at his men as if in pity. "Wot is a poor old man to do?"

But as he seemed prepared to drop his melancholy theatrics and launch into a new tirade of screams and shouts, a small noise caught his notice from behind.

"Uhh…"

Turning his attention like a bolt of lightning, the man's glassy eyes settled on Hiccup, who was rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Ooooooh, well, isn't _this_ a nice surprise." The old man crooned with a thickness of sarcasm that could even make Hiccup envious. "I see Stowick couldn't be _bothered_ to grace me with his own presence, so he had to send the li'tle _Hiccup_, eh?" He spat with an unadulterated vitriol. "Pheh, just the very _soight_ o' you is offensive to me eyes."

Hiccup's eyebrows drooped and his mouth adopted a thin, flat line. "Nice to see you too, Mildew."

The man moved faster than Hiccup would have given credit to any normal senior, getting up in his face and taking on a venomous tone as he dug his bony finger into Hiccup's chest. "I'll not have ye using that name at me, _Hiccup_. You address me properly now, or me and your father are gonna have us some words."

Hiccup regretted having said it as soon as it left his mouth – referring to the miserable old man as 'Mildew', based just on the smell he carried with him, was commonplace around Berk. But the man himself absolutely hated it, and Hiccup had unfortunately forgotten to check his sardonic tongue.

"Apologies, sir." Hiccup replied, trying to avoid breathing in too heavily with Mildew's face just inches from his own, glowering. "But I'm here to pick up the-"

"I _know_ why you're here!" Mildew cut him off rather loudly, a bit of spit flying to hit the boy in the face. He finally turned to face away from him, giving Hiccup the opportunity to glare at his retreating back as he made his way toward a large, wooden crate. "Come to pick up this blasted thing…" Mildew trailed off, leaning heavily against his walking staff and muttering curses under his breath as he rifled through a variety of packages he had sitting on top of the crate. He finally plucked one up, a small parcel wrapped up in brown paper and tied with twine and turned to throw it at Hiccup, who thankfully managed to catch it. "Here! Now get out of me sight, ye worthless li'tle whelp. I've got a station to run and don't need ye hangin' about and makin' a nuisance of yourself. 'Course, suppose that's all you ever do anywhere you go." He added as he turned back to his workers, who hadn't ceased in their unloading. "Always runnin' about, makin' a mess of things, and then crying home to mummy to make it aaaall better." The old man decided to tack on with a mockingly sympathetic tone, glaring at Hiccup as he did. "Too bad she isn't around to cry to anymore, hmmm? Though I suppose she dodged a bullet, not havin' to witness wot a sorry mess you grew into."

Hiccup had heard enough, and feeling he was dangerously close to losing his temper at the old man, turned to storm away, his face feeling red hot and words just dying to wrench themselves from his tightly sealed lips.

"Thaaaaat's roight, run along now Hiccup. I'd rather ye not embarrass the both of us by crying here in front o' me." Mildew spoke once more, sounding sadistically amused at his own comment.

Hiccup turned to face him, his glare filled with hate as he angrily shot back "Why don't you just drop dead!"

And without waiting for a response, he turned on his heel and rushed off, eager to leave that despicable place behind, though he could hear Mildew calling after him that he'd regret his words.

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When Hiccup had put considerable distance between himself and the rail station, and had had some time to cool down, he realized Mildew was probably right about those regrets. Mildew was just a hateful old man who filled a paper-pushing, supervisional job that no one else in Berk seemed to want; though he claimed they simply weren't qualified. Everyone knew he was about as horrible as he was alone, and everyone was _supposed_ to know not to take him seriously and to just move on with their lives when he went on the verbal offensive.

And now, Mildew would no doubt get ahold of Hiccup's father later and complain to him for about an hour about what a horrible, disrespectful, worthless son he had, and Stoick would then have a long talk with Hiccup about controlling his outbursts and about how he shouldn't treat Mildew the wrong way. And of course, the icing on the cake, Hiccup would just nod silently and hold his silence about what exactly Mildew had _said_ to him because the very idea of bringing up his mother in Stoick's presence was practically taboo. The only time she was ever talked about was in brief mentions of fondness from his father, which Hiccup could then chime in on if he so pleased. But for Hiccup to bring it up? He'd chill the air to an icy temperature, harden Stoick's gaze, and make the tension between them thicker than usual. He hated that.

The auburn-haired boy sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples as he walked at a brisk pace, eager to complete this errand of his. He didn't want to think about this right now. He walked for a period of roughly ten minutes, lost in his thoughts and trying to invent excuses to tell his father later about why he flew off the handle at Mildew, and found almost too late that he was nearing his destination, his distractions in his own reverie seeing to it that he almost walked right past the place.

A large, brown, dome-shaped establishment lay before him, its making of old oak and metal bolt work giving it a very old, rustic feel. A sign hung above the entrance to the place, stylized writing indicating the location as being 'Gobber's'. Well, at least this visit could be marginally more pleasant.

Shoving at the somewhat heavy door of the establishment, Hiccup pushed his way into the dimly-lit tavern/café/restaurant (it really depended on what mood Gobber was in at any given time of day), being greeted by the eponymous man who stood behind the counter, a cheery grin on his haggard face. "Heccup! Good to see you, lad."

"Hey there Gobber." Hiccup returned with a smile, approaching the counter and seating himself on a bar stool. "I came to give you this." The boy produced the small parcel which he had tucked into his book bag then, setting it on the countertop for the barkeep to inspect.

Gobber grinned at the package, the expression bringing more attention to the silver tooth which sat prominently in his lower jaw. "Ahh, Stoick send you by the station, did he?" the man asked, plucking the parcel up in his right hand and shaking it a tad, facing one ear toward it and chuckling like a kid at Christmas. "Been expecting this little goody!" The robust man then brought his left hand up above the counter, though it couldn't really be called a hand so much as a large, bludgeoning object of steel. Hiccup raised an eyebrow at Gobber's choice of prosthetic today, but as with most things Gobber-related, felt it was best not to ask questions. True to expectation, the barkeep brought the bludgeon down on the counter top, making a very loud _thunking _noise as he raised his voice over the music that was presently playing through the establishment.

There were only a few patrons present at the moment, what with the early hour of the day seeing the establishment in 'café mode'. Only a few men sat about, sipping at steaming mugs of coffee blacker than any night and probably just as tasteless as the men themselves. They didn't pay any mind to the loud ruckus Gobber was making, and just as well, as it wasn't directed at them.

"Oi, Phlegma!" Gobber called at a rather tall, somewhat intimidating woman whose face was decorated with a stern expression. "Bring Heccup here a hot cocoa, eh?"

"I'll be gettin' on that in a moment Gobber, just hold yer britches." She called back in a tone that seemed harsh, but that Hiccup had learned to associate with good-natured. At least, for her anyhow.

Hiccup chuckled, shaking his head at the regularity of the exchange. "No, that's really okay Gobber. I've gotta get going anyhow, school and all, you know."

"Ah, nonsense Heccup, ye got plenty o' time yet. S'only seven-thirty!" Gobber reassured him, hobbling over to the other end of the counter on one leg of flesh and another of wood to set his package down on a low-hanging shelf before turning his attention back to Hiccup and stroking his long, braided mustache contemplatively. "Now, I can tell you've got somethin' on your mind, lad, so why don't you let me lend you an ear?"

Hiccup laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from Gobber. "How, how do you always do that?"

"Oh now come on Heccup, I've known you since you were in diapers. I think I can tell when you're bein' bothered by somethin'! And not just the usual bits, mind you."

"Ha ha ha ha ha…" Hiccup put as much insincerity into the sound as possible. Gobber was of course referring to Hiccup's usual troubles – you know, not fitting in, general troubles with his father, stress over school, all of that common tripe that no one should give two hoots about.

"Can the sarcasm, spill." Gobber instructed unamusedly.

"Ah, it's nothing, really Gobber. You know, usual stuff, like you said, not worth hearing about. How are you?"

"Heccup."

"No, I mean, really now, why would you want to bog yourself down listening to my woes? You've got a lot more important affairs to deal with, you know? Like, minding the tavern, or supervising the wharf – you know they're building a new storehouse down there today, shouldn't you be there? – or you know, opening up that package that I braved a tongue-lashing to obtain for you, or maybe-"

"Ahhh, so it's about Mildew then, isn't it?"

"Mildew?" came the sound of Phlegma's strong-willed voice as she approached, setting a steaming mug down in front of Hiccup that just smelled _heavenly_. "What's that old geezer gone and done now?"

Hiccup groaned and rolled his eyes. "It's, it's nothing guys! Just Mildew being his normal self, you know how it is." The boy tried to wave the situation off with a casual wave of his hand. "Not worth dwelling on it, really."

"Heccup, now if this were just some run-o'-the-mill run-in with Mildew and his wicked tongue then I don't think you'da been coming in here with that walkin' dead look you were carryin' about when I saw you."

"Walking dead? Come on, Gobber, I-"

"No, he's right Hiccup, you look awful. Worse than usual, you know." Phlegma tossed in as she bustled about the counters, collecting discarded mugs that had possibly been left by earlier tenants.

"Thank you, Phlegma, for that charming observation." He deadpanned, before heaving a heavy sigh for the umpteenth time that morning. "You guys are not gonna let this go, are you?"

"Nope." They both chimed in unison, fixing Hiccup with stern looks.

"Look, Mildew just got exceptionally nasty today, and I got kind of mad and-"

"Oh, you didn't go and say somethin' you shoulna have, did you?" Phlegma asked with a raised, stern brow, stopping mid-collection in her current task of placing some steaming mugs of coffee on a tray.

"…I may have told him to drop dead?"

"Oi." Gobber responded, rubbing a hand against his face.

"Oh, Hiccup, you know how that old fool _gets_!" Phlegma admonished him from over her shoulder as she made her away from the bar, toward some new tenants waiting near the back of the establishment.

"Aye, and you know Stoick is gonna be hearin' about this." Gobber added, resting his weight on his elbow and leveling Hiccup with as stern a look as Gobber could muster. "I certainly hope the coot said somethin' to deserve it, Heccup."

"Gobber, when does he ever _not_ deserve it?"

The surly man raised his prosthetic, wagging it in Hiccup's direction. "You know wo'I'mean."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat, arms falling loosely to his side and grimacing at the idea of talking about it. But Gobber had that somewhat nosy nature of his at times like this, and he wouldn't let it drop at this point. Besides, maybe if he knew the circumstances, he could talk to Stoic later and forewarn him, so that Hiccup himself wouldn't have to explain it and risk that awkward tension he so dreaded. "He started talking about my mom, about how she was gone and how I couldn't 'go running and crying to her' anymore."

The news seemed almost physically painful to Gobber, emphasized by the "Oof." he made in response, shaking his head and causing the blonde braids hanging from his face to swish about. "That old bastard was really diggin' deep this time, eh?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, but you're right, I still shouldn't have said anything. He's just going to go and make trouble for everyone now…" The boy rested against the bar, cradling his face in one hand as he absently reached for the still steaming mug Phlegma had left for him. His mood instantly seemed to pick up as he took a sip, humming in contentment. "Gobber, you need to give that woman a raise, because this stuff just gets better and better every time I come in here."

"I'm with Hiccup." said woman chimed in cheekily as she returned, setting about more seemingly menial tasks. Hiccup got the impression she was just trying to linger.

"Aye, be off with ye, ya harpy, you're already squeezing a pretty penny out of me as it is!" Gobber responded with a mock brashness, which was met by a powerful glare from the sturdy woman.

"And just who're you callin' a harpy, ya grizzled old troll?"

"Guys, guys," Hiccup spoke up. "Much as I hate to interrupt this lover's quarrel, I really do think I should be going."

"Have you told your father about the art showcase, Hiccup?" Phlegma asked in a commanding tone, ignoring the boy's comment.

"Art showcase? What art showcase would that be?" Gobber asked, this clearly being news to him.

"Ahh-ah, that's, that's a very good question Gobber! And one, uh, that I will not be answering. How much do I owe for the cocoa?" He asked, trying to quickly change the subject.

Phlegma huffed in irritation, but shook her head. "On the house. Now get on with you." She commanded, giving the boy a glare before turning to get back to work.

Hiccup gave her an appreciative smile as he made for the exit, Gobber's voice sounding behind him as he went.

"Art showcase? What art showcase! Phlegma! Get back here and talk to me ya bride of Grendel or I'm dockin' your pay!"

Hiccup breathed out in temporary relief as he made his way back into the cold. Great. Now Gobber was probably going to bring that up to Stoick, as if the man wasn't going to have enough Hiccup-related problems brought to his attention today. Well, best get the most out of today, then, Hiccup figured, shrugging and finally resuming his path toward his school. The morning had barely started and he already felt run-down as though having had to deal with an entire day's events. Oh how his life just loved to throw difficulties at him at every turn.

As the hour for the start of school drew closer, though, Hiccup noted the presence of more people milling about the sidewalks now compared to earlier. On the one hand, it made him feel a little less alone to be among a crowd of milling students, but on the other, trying to navigate among small groups of Viking-blooded high school teenagers wasn't exactly the easiest feat when you weren't quite on par with the muscle mass of most of the guys around you, and when most of the girls even stood an inch or so higher than you. Again, not that Hiccup particularly _minded_ his height – hey, five-eight was a perfectly reasonable height for a seventeen-year-old boy to stand at! – it was more that everyone else just seemed so much taller by comparison that Hiccup couldn't help feeling just a _smidge_ maybe, possibly, sort of inadequate.

He grunted in annoyance as a few people shoved past him, not paying any particularly notable regard of attention to their faces or names, if he knew them. It's not like knowing the identities of those who disregarded him was going to help him make them stop.

However, he was called out of his mildly irritated train of thought as a voice called for his attention somewhere behind him. "Hiccup!"

Recognizing the voice, he stopped and pulled a quick one-eighty, scanning the growing sea of faces for the familiar blonde head of Astrid Hofferson, whom he spotted jogging toward him and waving. He offered her a soft smiled and returned the wave. "Astrid, hey, hi."

As the girl reached Hiccup's closer proximity, she offered him a light jab on the shoulder by way of greeting, along with a quick smirk and a small laugh. "You weren't at our usual spot, so I was wondering what's up." She said as she took stride beside him, the two resuming their leisurely walk to the looming school building ahead.

"Ah, yeah, I had some errands to run this morning. Had to go by the rail station and get a package from Mildew."

Astrid took a sharp inward hiss and screwed her face up in pain. "Ouch. That couldn't have been very pleasant."

"Oh, believe me, it wasn't. Anyway, had to drop it off down at Gobber's when I was done with that, so I got a little caught up there talking with him."

"Aren't they building a new storehouse down at the wharf today? I would have thought Gobber would need to be there for that."

"Hah, that's what I said!" Hiccup made a bit of wide gesticulation with his hands, giving the girl his perplexed smile before dropping his arms to the side again, moving one up to the strap on his shoulder to adjust his bag. "I'll still never quite understand how the guy manages to balance managing things down there, running that tavern, and also basically being my dad's adviser."

"Hey, speaking of that," Astrid cut in.

"Oh boy…"

"Did you tell him about the showcase?"

"_Why_ is everyone so interested in that suddenly? I say one word about it to Phlegma and even she's suddenly asking about it and getting Gobber to ask questions-"

"Well Hiccup it's _probably_ because it's a big deal and she thinks your dad ought to know about it. And come on what's the deal, you told me you were going to tell him yesterday!"

"Well, yeah, yes Astrid, I was. But then, you know, stuff happened, and the timing just seemed all off, and" Astrid was not buying his excuses; he could see it on her face. He flailed his hands just slightly before bringing one up to knot in his hair. "H-You-Ah, graagh, he's the chief, Astrid,"

"Mayor."

"Whatever! He's got other things to worry about then whatever non-physical activity his tiny son is doing to pass his time while _he_ is off making the town a better place."

Astrid grooooooooaned, clearly exasperated with the boy before driving her knuckles into the boy's shoulder again, this time none too lightly. She then immediately cut across his protests with a roll of her eyes and a sharp tongue. "Listen, Hiccup, I know I've said this before but maybe _try_ and make sure it doesn't just go out the other ear this time?" she asked while he nursed his aching shoulder, pouting. "Look, maybe you're not some star athlete, alright? But the biggest gathering of fine art that this town ever _sees_ is coming up, and _your work_ was recommended to be featured. There are gonna be top critics there, Hiccup! This could make a huge world of difference for you and getting you to where you want to be!"

"Oh, yeah, and I'll just casually tell my dad that I want to get out of this town, be a fancy-shmancy artist, or writer, or something else he'll disapprove of, and while I'm at it, just go and make him look at me like I punched him in the gut – and it actually hurt – by confirming to him that I've got no interest in taking over as mayor someday. I mean what kind of backwards town doesn't even have proper elections for mayor…" he mumbled the last bit, seemingly off on a tangent now.

Astrid grunted in annoyance. "You know you can be just as stubborn as he can, Hiccup." She griped, shaking her head. "But you know something else? You should count yourself lucky. At least your dad _tries_ to understand you."

Ooooh, ouch. He had just hit a sore spot without meaning to. Oooh, he was gonna pay for that later, he was sure of it.

"Anyway," she muttered, irritably blowing a strand of hair out of her face and tucking some of it behind an ear. "I've gotta go see my track coach, said he needed to talk to me before school."

And without a further word, she was jogging off, leaving Hiccup behind to stew in his own self-afflicted pool of 'Well I was just an asshole again, great'. He really seemed to have a bad habit of making the people who cared about him feel crummy. "Oh to have the power to tame this tongue of mine…" he mused to himself scathingly, adjusting his book bag again as he made to weave his way through the remaining crowd of students milling around him.

Crossing the threshold of the front gate, the boy stepped onto the Berk High School grounds with a sigh and looked up at the building that, in a lot of ways, felt to him like a daily prison he just kept coming back to, like he had Stockholm's syndrome or something. He made his way up the front steps and into the front doors, taking in the perpetually lemony scent of the hallways. The janitorial staff of this place really seemed to take a great deal of pride in their work. A cacophony of chatter surrounded him on all sides now that he was inside the building, made up of bits and pieces of laughter, gossip, shouts, challenges, and all manner of other things that your typical teenager seems to enthrall themselves in talking about.

"Well, I've still got a few minutes before bell." Hiccup stated conversationally, though he was the only listener. "Guess I could get to my locker real quick…"

The trip to locker 1216 was a fairly uneventful one, Hiccup's mind wandering as his feet guided themselves down the familiar route of hallways to reach it. Unfortunately, if he had been paying any greater degree of attention, he might have noticed the larger figure of someone approaching from the front, seemingly intent on a collision course. But nooooo, Hiccup's head was too wrapped up in thinking about what kinds of trolls might live in lockers when no one was around to see them, and-

Oof! Well, down he went.

Hiccup found himself flat on his rear end, rubbing soothing circles around his left shoulder now (come ooooon, wasn't the right one that Astrid had felt the need to punch _enough_ for one day?) as he shot a glare behind him. Just as expected, there was good ol' Snorri Jorgenson, chortling to himself over his success of smacking into Hiccup and knocking him down as he strutted down the halls, oozing self-satisfaction.

"Ha ha ha ha, good one, Snotlout!" Hiccup called after him irritably. Like this this day wasn't already off to just a wonderful start.

He seemed to not care about Hiccup's venom, as usual, as he simply gave a lazy wave without turning to even look at the boy. "I know, I try!"

Hiccup figured he could keep sitting there grousing to himself, nursing his sore shoulder and aching behind, or he could just hurry the hell up and get his things so that he could go to class. As appealing as the former seemed, he decided the latter was probably a better choice in the long run.

However, there was no reason he couldn't multitask, so he continued to grumble and groan as he loaded books in and out of his quickly-opened locker, mumbling profanities to himself and making odd gestures with his hands. "Stupid snotface Snotloutgrumblegrumblegrumbl eDamn it piece ofgrumblegrumblegrumbleStupi d art showcagrumblegrumbleStupid old megrumblegrumble."

Now, Hiccup wouldn't go so far as to say he was bullied, exactly. Because honestly, he wasn't. Well, not to the point that one might immediately imagine when they think of the term 'bullying'. No, he didn't find himself coming home with bruises, or getting roped into fights, or taunted mercilessly about how he'd never, ever be a supermodel so he should just go home and cry right now, Betty. Whoa, okay, where did that come from? Hiccup shook his head. Moving on.

But no, bullying? Hiccup wouldn't really call it that. Being socially awkward in a school full of people whom he mostly didn't fit in with while also being taunted on a fairly average basis by his ass-for-brains cousin? Yeah, that was more like it. In a manner of speaking, however, Hiccup supposed he ought to be grateful to Snotlout. While the Jorgenson boy may have been steadfast and merciless in his bothering of Hiccup, he was also easily one of the toughest guys in the entire school.

And whether it was because his father ordered him not to or for his own reasons altogether, Snotlout never seemed to get truly violent with the boy, beyond a few shoves or smacks here and there, and Hiccup had it on good authority that by order of the Football Star Jorgenson, there was basically a 'hands-off' policy regarding Hiccup that was in effect for just about any other muscle-headed giant who decided that they didn't like the way the small boy looked at them.

Hiccup always found it weird to consider that he might have had some sort of protection on account of Snotlout. Though he also had his suspicions that it wouldn't last forever. Whatever it was that kept Snotlout in check, and thus held back anyone else who wanted to pick a fight with the Haddock boy, it probably wasn't going to hold forever. Hiccup felt like he was walking on ice cracks every time he shot back a retort at his cousin over some offense.

But alas, Hiccup was a stubborn fool. He couldn't exactly stop himself or his smart mouth when it came to Snotlout.

And ooooh, he really did need to stop being so distracted when he was walking places, didn't he? Hiccup was snapped out of his thoughts by the blaring sound of a loud ringing from just above, finding he had the unfortunate pleasure of having stopped right under one of the school's bells. A bell that was ringing. Which meant that Hiccup had a minute to get to class and wasn't even half way across the school from his locker yet.

Sometimes he wondered if schools intentionally gave every student a locker that was placed across the damn campus from their first class just to torment them. He wouldn't be surprised! He grit his teeth and picked his feet up into a brisk run, not wanting to be tardy to one of the few classes he actually enjoyed participating in. Especially because, as nice as his Home Room teacher may be, she was a pretty stiff stickler when it came to the rules. He preferred avoiding tardy slips. Especially seeing as how he already had a couple, and getting another would mean a detention. Yeah, no.

He dashed and dodged and weaved his way skillfully around throngs of students who somehow still felt it appropriate to linger, some of whom made immature comments after him such as the classic 'Run Forest, run!' and others of whom decided to hold their feet out as he came by in an obvious manner, probably positive that he'd just jump over them (he did), but still finding it just _hilarious_ ('Hurhur, did you see how I made like I was gonna trip him?' 'Yeah man that was aces.').

Finally, taking a sharp right at the end of the hall, he managed to duck his way into his classroom, breathing a sigh of relief as he had just seconds to spare before the bell sounded, resisting the urge to raise his arms in triumph at his success as he was all too conscious of the several pairs of eyes that were already on him for arriving when he did.

The bell rang as a few other people shoved their way in from behind him, pushing him out of the way to make their way to their individual desks. A soft, airy voice sounded from the front of the classroom as they entered, though, belonging to a woman who was, seemingly carelessly, filing her nails. "Tardy, tardy, tardy, you're tardy," she spoke each time a student entered her classroom, ignoring their groans or sighs or what have you as she just giggled at their expense. She gave Hiccup a look, one eyebrow raised with a quirk, which seemed to indicate 'Hey, you should probably take your seat now.'

Hiccup chuckled lightly, still catching his breath a bit, and made his way for his own desk which he immediately slouched into.

One more student stepped into the classroom just as the teacher stood from her desk, and she immediately huffed in an almost childish fashion, sticking out her lower lip and screwing up her brow. "Ooh! You're tardy too! Come on guys, what is up with you today, that's five tardies." She shook her head in apparent disappointment.

"Aww, come on Ms. Zabek, can't you let this one go? My locker is like, way over there!" the hapless student tried to reason, gesturing widely with his arm.

But Ms. Zabek wouldn't have any of it, shaking her head resolutely as she ran a finger exasperatedly through her eccentric, rainbow-hued hair which she had styled into her signature updo that she was known for on this campus. "Nope, can't do it! Deadlines are important, you know? Even ones as simple as being somewhere at a certain time. Now how am I gonna prepare you kids for the real world if I let tardies slide, hm?" she asked good-naturedly, her many bracelets jingling on her thin wrists as she pointed at the student with a sense of conviction. Though, watching the display, Hiccup found it wasn't the easiest feat in the world to take the woman seriously when she looked like she was barely restraining a grin, the corners of her eyes (which were colored with flayed yellows and reds) crinkling in apparent delight.

But she seemed to hold it together, probably saving the giggle fit for later, as she hustled over to her desk drawer and pulled out a book of pink slips, tearing out five of them. "See, now look what you guys have made me do. Gotta use up all my nice, fancy ink from my glorious new pen that I like, _just bought_, guys, to write you up some tardy slips. Come on, have some consideration for your poor teacher!"

Hiccup held in his chuckles as she flitted about the classroom rapidly, handing out the slips to the tardy parties who, in spite of the situation, seemed to be smiling. Of course, most students found it difficult not to smile around Ms. Zabek. Hiccup stood by the assertion that the day she transferred into this school from whatever city she had hailed from was probably the best day that Berk High had ever seen. Though, he still hadn't the foggiest idea why some big city academic like her with several teaching degrees would have settled on a dead-end town like Berk.

"Well, now that that's settled, let's go ahead and start English, hm? Who's here?" she asked. A storm of hands were raised up into the air then, and Ms. Zabek's eyes instantly narrowed as she proceeded to speed count them all, her lips moving swiftly as she recited what Hiccup imagined must be names. He would never be sure how she managed to do that so quickly. "Aaaaalright, looks like we're only missing a couple, I'll just scratch that down here…" she spoke mostly to herself, quickly writing something down on a sheet of paper she kept on her desk. "Well, let's get right to it then! Who read the Hamlet pages last night?"

.

* * *

.

The proceedings of the class were best described by Hiccup as uneventful. Fairly straightforward, a few questions asked about the chapters of assigned reading, some writing exercises that Hiccup didn't really need to partake in. Definitely not one of Ms. Zabek's more creative days. Before long the bell was ringing again and signaling the class's conclusion, and Ms. Zabek was calling loudly over it to reach the quickly retreating students. "Don't forget, the next twenty pages need to be read tonight! I might be quiiiiiiiizing~!" she singsonged as the students groaned, but otherwise resumed their exodus.

Hiccup was among the last to head out, but was stopped as she called after him. "Oh, and Hiccup, hang back for a sec? I'll write you an excuse if you're late to your next class!"

Hiccup stopped and turned to face the bubbly woman, rather confident his next class's teacher wouldn't give a hoot the same way Ms. Zabek did, but nodded anyway. "Alright, sounds fair, what's up?"

She seemed to be barely controlling her excitement as the last of the students milled out of the class, hopping up and down before zooming over to him, taking his hands in hers and proceeding to engage in more hopping, pulling Hiccup along with her. "You'll never guess what I did!"

"Ahhhh, I'm sure you're gonna tell me?"

She released his hands then and instead thrust her arms up as if in victory, biting at the bottom of her lip for a moment before bursting out loud. "I got you a center display!"

Hiccup's eyes widened at that. "Wh-wha, are you, oh my, _are you serious_!?" he asked, a huge grin jumping to his face at the first good news he'd had all the day. He took a couple of steps back in a theatrical display of being rather overcome with joy, one hand raised to tangle in his locks as the other braced his weight against a table. "Ooooh my goodness, oh gosh, of my god, _Anna_ this, this is just-!"

"I know!" she squealed back, quickly pulling the boy into a hug before any new students entered her class to see the brazen lack of propriety she and Hiccup tended to display when in private.

"This is huge! My painting, _my art_, is gonna be in the _center display_ at the showcase? Ooooooh this, this is just…" His eyes widened. "_Terrible_. No, no no no, Anna, yo-you've gotta get them to change their minds, no, this can't-"

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa, what? What are you talking about Hiccup, this is a _good _thing, you, you were just so excited like, a second ago!"

But now Hiccup was thinking of the worst case scenario, shaking his head. "No, no, Anna, this… Art that makes it to the center display always gets graded the most harshly, you've said so yourself! And some of the biggest critics that ever even give Berk a glance are gonna be there, and this, ahhh no, no no, this is my _first entry_ to any showcase ever, Anna! I'm, I'm gonna be laughed at, they're gonna call my stuff amateurish, or pedestrian, or lacking in experience because _I'm lacking in experience_, and then it's gonna be in the paper and-" Ooooooooh boy, he paled at his next realization. "It'll be in the paper and my dad will see it, and he'll read all about how his son's work amounted to nothing, and. Oh man, this is so messed up, _why _would you _do_ this?"

Anna F. Zabek couldn't honestly say she was at a loss for words too often, but here she was, blinking at Hiccup with the most perplexed expression he had ever seen her wear. The sound of the ringing bell filled the classroom as second period commenced. "Hiccup, you're worried that it's not good enough, really?"

"Yes!"

"Oi, Hiccup…" At this she raised one delicate hand to her brow, bracelets jingling as she massaged the bridge of her elegant nose gently. "Hiccup, what class do you have for fourth period?"

"Art."

"Art. And who teaches that class, Hiccup?"

"You do."

"I do. And what degree was it, again, that I have a master's in?"

"Art."

"Art again, yes. So tell me, Hiccup, who here would be more qualified to tell you that your art is amateurish, or pedestrian, you? Or me?"

Hiccup sighed. "You."

"And, ah, who's the one who thought it was _so good_ that they recommended it for center display?"

"You did." Hiccup added, sounding defeated.

"You bet your ass I did." The woman gave him a spunky look as she boldly placed one fist on her hips and jabbed him in the chest with her other hand. "Hiccup, that painting is incredible, and the critics are going to love it, alright? Trust me on that. It'll make your dad proud!"

Right. His dad. His dad who still didn't know that his son was even _in_ a showcase. Or that his son even seriously pursued 'those little doodles' he did. "Yeah. Proud. Right."

Anna blew out a long breath and cocked her head to the side a bit, eyeing the boy sympathetically. "It'll all work out Hiccup, you'll see. You'll take off, get big and famous! And then you can meet more people who share common ground with you, and do what you love!" she insisted cheerily, hopping over to her desk to write Hiccup a note of excusal for his tardiness. "Now, you better be off to your next class." She instructed, handing him the note.

Hiccup took it and nodded. "Yeah, sure." His mouth was pursed and screwed to the side a bit in an evident display of lingering doubt, but he nodded, making for the door. "Thanks, Anna."

She simply nodded and waved, giving a reassuring grin before he was out the door.

.

* * *

.

"Center? Are you serious!?" Bright eyes seemed to somehow get brighter as a slightly chubby face pulled at the seams with the biggest, most appreciative grin Hiccup had seen all day. The large-framed boy sitting across from him raised a set of powerful-looking fingers to brush some straw-like blonde hair from his face as he bounced in his seat in avid excitement and approval. "She actually got you a spot in center display! That is like, the hugest thing I've heard all day! All week even!"

"Glad you feel that way, Fishlegs." Hiccup mumbled in response, lazily dipping a french fry into a pool of ketchup and mayonnaise and swirling it around listlessly.

"Well, someone has to." Astrid spoke up from beside Hiccup, her brow ruffled at him and clearly demonstrating a lack of amusement at the brunette's less-than-enthused attitude.

"Wait, hang on, I don't understand." Fishlegs spoke up, his own expression starting to mirror Astrid's as he looked at Hiccup's downcast expression. "Isn't that supposed to be, you know, good?"

"Yeah, it is." Astrid affirmed, shaking her head. "Hiccup's just being a baby about it."

"I am not being a baby!" he shot back.

Astrid just rolled her eyes. "He'll get over it, Fishlegs, don't worry about it."

Fishlegs screwed up his lip in apparent confusion, but simply shrugged. "Alright then. So, uh, Astrid! Any news on the dog show?"

"Dog show?" Hiccup asked, interest piqued as he glanced up from his french fry pool.

Astrid made a hissing sound as she glanced wildly around her, making sure no one else in the cafeteria had heard that. "Would you keep your voice down when you talk about that!" she whisper-shouted.

Fishlegs raised his hands up disarmingly, smiling. "Sorry, sorry!"

"Astrid what's he talking about?"

At this the girl let her shoulders sag and she blew a golden bang out of her eyes, a habit Hiccup had learned to associate with nerves and irritability from the girl. "Okay, so, you know how I've been grooming Stormfly a lot more lately?"

"Uh huh?"

"Well, I… I sort of saw this flyer for a dog show, and-"

"Yeah, she saw it online." Fishlegs cut in with a smile. "So I guess you wouldn't really call it a flyer…"

Hiccup smirked. "So you searched for it online."

Astrid huffed. "Yes, I searched for it online. But, you know, just out of curiosity! It's out of town, so I thought I'd enter Stormfly, since it judges based on grooming and stuff, and you know, I've been making that homemade original formula for her food and I thought maybe I could have it looked at while I'm there… it'd be pretty cool, you know, for Stormfly, if she got one of those fancy ribbons…"

"You want to win a grooming contest." Hiccup stated matter-of-factly.

"Alright, fine, yes. I do. But you can't tell anyone about it." She warned. "_Either_ of you." she added with an extra serious touch at Fishlegs. "I don't need this getting back to my dad."

"I, hah, I don't believe this." Hiccup stated incredulously. "You're giving _me_ grief because I won't tell my dad about the showcase, but you, you're basically doing the same thing with this dog show of yours!"

"It's completely different, Hiccup."

"It sounds the same to me."

"Well it's _not._"

Fishlegs glanced between the two of them with a smirk dancing at his lips. "You two are really funny, you know that?"

They both let out a simultaneous grumble.

"It just seems silly to me, I'm sorry!" Fishlegs laughed. "I mean you both have these dreams and things you're passionate about but you just refuse to let other people know about it! That's gotta be unhealthy, you know." He then proceeded to devour the remainder of his pasta, which had gone cold with all this talking, though he didn't seem to mind. "I mean if I were either of you guys I'd just go for it."

"Yeah, well, it can't always be that simple, Fishlegs." Hiccup responded lethargically, resting his chin in his hand.

"I'm pretty sure it can."

"No, it can't."

Fishlegs giggled. "Yes it can."

"No, it can't!" both Astrid and Hiccup half-shouted in unison. Fishlegs widened his eyes a bit and held his hands up in surrender, going back to his meal.

Hiccup really envied Fishlegs, honestly. As far as the people in Berk went, he was pretty sure the Ingerman house was probably one of the most laid back in the town. Fishlegs seemed to be allowed to do virtually anything his heart was set on and his parents didn't mind in the slightest. Fishlegs wanted to be a writer, and his mother _and_ his father both were just so perfectly proud of their son. Neither of them seemed to think he was inadequate for lacking any desire for some labor position, or for something that relied on grit, or a position of leadership. Of course, with the boy's large frame and huge limbs, Hiccup was pretty confident that his parents were probably plenty satisfied with his aptitude for brawn. In any case, the boy just didn't have anything he needed to prove. Not like Hiccup. Not like Astrid.

"Oi, Hiccup!"

"Oh, perfect, this is just what I needed." Hiccup stated dryly as the sounds of footsteps approached. Astrid sighed.

A thwack on the back of his head (causing the brunette to immediately raise a hand to the injured spot, rubbing at it) signaled the arrival of Snotlout, who immediately invited himself to sit next to Hiccup and sneered at him. Across the table, a pair of blonde twins sat themselves on either side of Fishlegs, chuckling at Hiccup's expense.

"Hit him again." The male, Ruffnut, urged. "He makes like, this weird face every time you do it, it's funny."

Snotlout seemed to ignore him. "So, Hiccup, just heard that you're one of the people on the news crew for this Saturday's game."

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and?"

"Just thought I'd come by to remind you to make sure and catch my good side for the instant replays." The black-haired teen leaned back with his eyes closed as if basking in his own glory. "_It's the left._"

Astrid could be heard groaning from beside Hiccup as the boy replied. "You know, Snotlout, I would just love to catch your good side on film, I really would, but see, there's that whole minor issue that I'm pretty sure you don't _have_ a good side."

Fishlegs raised his hands to his mouth, laughing into them.

Snotlout processed the comment for a second before his expression turned to a glower and he released a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, that's a good one Hiccup. But you know, _I'm_ pretty sure that whatever I've got is about a hundred times better than whatever you're limping to the barn with."

"Oooooh." Ruffnut, the female Thorston twin, cooed in mocking appreciation of the remark, sharing a smirk with her brother.

"Don't you have anything better you could be doing?" Astrid asked her with mild annoyance.

"You might be surprised, but I really don't." Ruffnut replied casually. Astrid responded with a quiet 'Ah'.

"Astriiiid, hey." Snotlout piped in again, seemingly overlooking Hiccup for the moment. "Hey, you know, I wanted to know if you'd wanna get some dinner with me this-"

"I'm washing my hair that night."

Snotlout blinked. "I didn't tell you what night yet."

"Pick one."

Hiccup decided he'd join Fishlegs now in his chuckling. Snotlout was rather obviously miffed by this, getting up and shoving at the smaller boy's shoulder. "Something funny, _Hiccup_?"

"I think your obvious strikeout would qualify, _Snotlout_."

The large, glowering teen looked as though he was ready to say something else until Astrid suddenly interjected, smacking her hands on the table. "Okay, can we _not_ do this? Because I don't feel like listening to you two go at each other's throats for the umpteenth time. Snotlout, you're not gonna do anything and we both know it, so why don't you just get lost."

Snotlout turned his angry gaze on Astrid, only for his eyes to soften once he did, adopting an almost sad look. "Yeah, whatever, fine. Come on, guys." He called to the twins, seemingly having enough of attempting to ruffle Hiccup's feathers and striding away. Ruff and Tuff glanced at one another before exchanging a shrug, Ruff tossing a wave at Astrid as she and her brother followed after their friend.

"Seriously, I don't understand that guy." Astrid lamented, watching them go.

"Snotlout's just the aggressive type." Fishlegs supplied. "You know, needs an outlet for his aggression. Hiccup's just a convenient target I guess."

"Gee, I sure do feel good hearing that, Fishlegs!" The false joy in Hiccup's tone was palpable.

"Well I mean did you ever do anything to upset him, growing up?"

"You've asked me that before, and I've told you no, I never did a thing to him."

"Didn't you guys used to play together when you were little?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah when we were like, five. And even then he pushed me around."

"Well his dad and your dad don't get along, right?"

"Mmhm." Hiccup hummed in a non-committal fashion, as though he had answered all of this before to too many different people.

"Do you know why that is?" Fishlegs asked him, eager for the information.

"No, Fishlegs, I don't. All I know is that they had a falling out before Snotlout and I were even born, and they barely speak now."

"Is that why Snotlout's dad changed his family's name to Jorgenson?"

"I don't know." Hiccup was once again beginning to feel exasperated. For whatever reason this day just felt like it was dragging on and on, and everything that had happened up until now was just working to stress him out. He was probably being lousy company to his friends, which didn't sit well with him considering they were basically the only friends he had in the first place. And here they were using their lunch period sitting with him instead all of the other people they knew and got along with and he was probably just giving them a miserable time of it.

He abruptly stood up. "I'm gonna go, guys."

Astrid glanced up at him, raising her brow in concern. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just a little tired. Think I'm gonna go lie down in the nurse's office until lunch is over. Lament my misfortune at having to keep a camera trained on Snotlout this weekend. You know, usual stuff."

Astrid and Fishlegs exchanged a glance. "Well, you won't be alone at least." she called after him. "I'll keep you company in the stands on game day, alright?"

Hiccup turned and gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, Astrid."

And defeated though he sounded, he meant it.

.

* * *

.

True to the forecast's predictions, snow was still falling when Hiccup exited the school building, classes having come to an end for the day. He was still feeling lousy, and while the pretty white flakes were nice to look at, they didn't fill him with any greater sense of joy knowing that he was going to have a hell of a driveway to shovel when he got home.

Students all departed for their cars or buses around him, making their way home in whatever fashion worked best for them, but Hiccup remained on foot, not owning a car to shield him from the cold but never liking the social suffocation that came from taking the bus. Fishlegs lived a little further uptown than Hiccup did, so he took the bus home, but normally Astrid would at least be walking with him. Unfortunately, she had apparently had gym practice to get to today, and couldn't offer him her company.

"Honestly it's more amazing that she's a part of two different athletic teams than it is that they'd make her practice on a day like today." he mumbled as he kicked at the clumps of snow dotting the sidewalk. Or perhaps the bigger surprise was that Astrid associated with him at all. Or maybe it would have been, if he hadn't known their history.

But busy as she was, Astrid really was a great friend, even if she could be pushy with Hiccup at times. And for a long while, before he had met Fishlegs, she had been his only friend. Among all the people in Berk, she'd definitely rank up there among the few people who actually understood him exceptionally well. In fact, the amount of time the two spent together had, at one point, generated a lot of rumors about them. Those rumors had long since died down, though. Mostly.

Hiccup didn't especially care about rumors though. Astrid knew where they stood. Seeing as how she was one of only two people in the entire town who knew that he... ah, well. Beside the point.

He started to let his mind wander then, entertaining himself with thoughts of playing with Toothless when he got home, or what he was going to draw tonight, which only caused him to spiral into a stress ball again when he was reminded about the center display and what he was going to do about that.

But true to form, his wandering thoughts had once again distracted him from reality, and it was only belatedly that he realized that there was some sort of commotion up ahead. Bringing his vision back into focus, he noticed that there were several people, cars, and a red and white truck gathered around the road that he would have traveled to reach the rail station…

His heart sank when he saw his father among the men who were gathered there, giving out orders to the various others and pointing in directions. The man looked exceptionally tired as he dragged a hand down across his face, stopping in front of his mouth as he shook his head. His eyes darted in Hiccup's direction as he noticed his son approaching.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in school?"

"Ah, no dad, school just let out a bit ago, actually. What, uh, what happened here?" he asked, his voice oozing trepidation.

Stoick nodded a few times, as if processing the current time, before casting his gaze down the road toward the station, and several burly men who were dressed in white outfits. They were pushing a long, wheeled table, and a sheet was draped over the top to hide whatever it was the table was carrying. "It's Mildew." The man said at last, sadly. "Seems he slipped on some of the ice today, broke his back. He's passed on, son."

Hiccup paled and his jaw dropped open. No, no, no no no. That couldn't be. This couldn't be happening. Immediately, completely unbidden his mind raced back to that morning and the last words he had said to the old man. He wanted to vomit with the sudden guilt that weighed on him, but more than that he wanted to wretch up the horrible feeling of relief that had taken a hold of him for a couple of moments. Relief that a man had _died_. Hiccup didn't care how horrible he was, that was inexcusable.

"Are you okay, son? You don't look well."

"J-just… Just feeling, a little sick." Hiccup managed to spit out.

Concern decorated the broad man's features, but he chose not to press further at his son's behavior. "Yes, well, he was a miserable old coot, to be sure. But a death is a tragedy all the same. But Berk will be needing a new station manager now." He turned his attention back behind him once again, watching as the men in white loaded the wheeled table into the back of the ambulance, closing the doors. "We only ever had the one, and he's gone now. Commercial import and export is a cornerstone of this town's livelihood, so we won't be able to do without someone who knows the paperwork for long. Gobber's already puttin' in calls to other stations."

"Y-yeah, right, ah…" Hiccup couldn't even really process the information right now. His mind was too busy _reeling_.

"Get on home, Hiccup." Stoick told him gruffly. "I'll see you at the house."

Hiccup nodded, mutely, and turned to head back the way he came, not saying another word.

.

* * *

.

Thick black boots thumped down heavily in repeated, thunderous steps as a very large, rather burly man shoved his way through throngs of smaller, somewhat fearful men and women, who took one look at his determined features and did their level best to leap out of his way. Several paper-pushing faces poked above the walls of their cubicles to observe the commotion, wondering what the hubbub was about as the large man with the snow-white beard made his way toward the back of the large floor space.

"Hey, North, where's the fire?" one of them called jokingly from the safety of his office chair.

The man took no pause in his pursuit toward the tall, fine door that waited for him at the far wall, merely calling over his shoulder in a thick, Russian accent: "No fire! Just got to see Manny!"

And without sparing a thought for knocking or announcing his arrival, the man simply pulled the door wide open and stepped into the office waiting beyond, closing the door behind him as he did. "Mr. Moony."

Before him, sitting at a polished desk of mahogany and apparently just getting off of the phone with someone, was a man whose most distinctive feature could be stated to be his exceptionally round head. He smiled charmingly up at the bearded man, hands neatly folding at his desk. "Nicholas, hello, how good to see you."

Nicholas St. North leveled the round-headed man with an earnest stare as he set his hands flat on the man's desk. "Is it true what they say, Mr. Moony? Is there position opening for new station manager?"

Moony nodded, his smile faltering. "Just opened up not a few hours ago, actually. The previous manager met an unfortunate end, I'm afraid, but the town he managed is in dire need of a new manager as quickly as possible."

"Because this man was _only_ station manager in town, yes?"

"Now, Nicholas, how might I ask you came across this information?" Moony asked, a mild amusement in his eyes.

North merely waved a hand dismissively, a small smile adorning his features. "Word through grapevine. News travels fast, Manny, especially when news is important to me."

"Ah, I see. So then might I be of the assumption that you have come here to request this open position?"

"If you say this town has only one position for manager, then that means no more transfers, yes?"

Moony nodded. "Yes. The previous holder of the position had held it for nearly sixty years. No one else living in the town is quite qualified for the position, so whoever would be working it would, I presume, be holding it for as long as they wished. I can tell that this is pertinent news for you, Nicholas."

At this news the man's eyes widened like a child's as a huge grin took over his features, leaping happily up and down and whooping. "Finally an end to all this moving around!"

Moony smiled warmly at him. "I have tried my hardest to ensure that you could be stationed as permanently as possible, Nicholas, but as you know it wasn't always in the stars. I am deeply sorry for that, to you and to your children whom have had to endure so many moves. But, if they are up for just one more, I can have you sent to Berk post haste to fill the vacancy, and I can offer you my assurances that you will not be moved again."

North, in all his joy, stepped around Moony's desk and plucked the smaller man right out of his seat, squeezing him in a titanic bear hug. Moony made a few struggled gasps of laughter and patted at the man's arms, urging that he be set down. North complied with a hardy chuckle. "This town, Berk. Is nice town?"

"To the best of my knowledge, yes." Moony affirmed as he took his seat again, catching his breath. "It has a rather rich Norwegian culture, having supposedly been originally settled by Vikings, generations ago."

"Supposedly?" North asked, curious.

Moony nodded, gesturing at a map of the United States he kept behind his chair, and pointed up at Maine. "They say that Vikings sailed there, to the northern tip of the state of Maine, back before it was a state, of course, and built a settlement there that gradually expanded. Apparently, as the ages passed and the states were colonized, the Viking settlement was eventually made an official town, and the rest is history. Of course, the only issue is that there's been no historical evidence whatsoever to suggest that the story is true, and most known evidence contradicts the notion that Viking settlements in the United States were ever permanent." Moony turned back to face North again, laughing into his folded hands. "But these people swear by the tale, and honestly, given their demeanor and culture, I've never had reason to doubt it!"

North laughed along with the man. "But good for my kids, you think?"

"Oh, well, I don't see why not. As I understand, the younger population in the town has certainly taken to more modern trends compared to the older generations, and I am told there's no shortage of ways to pass the time."

"Then if it's permanent, I take." North decided, nodding stoutly. This could finally be what he was looking for. The roots he had been longing to offer his children, roots that had been denied to them for far too long.

"If you truly want it, Nicholas, then it is yours." Moony beamed up at him. "I can put in the call immediately to let them know and have you sent up as soon as you are able."

"Is tomorrow good?"

Creased lines appeared in Moony's forehead as he looked positively fuddled. "Tomorrow? Why, will that be enough time to get your family's things all together?"

"Many of our things are in storage already. Many moves we have taken mean traveling light."

Moony looked downcast at this. "Nicholas, once again, I am so very sorry for that."

"Is fine, Manny." North gave the man his jolliest smile. "For is problem no more, eh? Is real estate good in Berk?"

The man smiled again. "I was told they do have a few houses available, if the replacement manager would want to purchase one. They're actually rather reasonably priced. I'd say it's on account of the town being a might bit smaller than many of the others in the state."

"Then my savings should be more than enough. Hohoh! I'll finally be able to have things shipped from storage! Thank you Manny." North leaned across the deck, holding his hand out. Moony nodded and shook the man's hand warmly.

"I am happy to be of service if it brings a smile to your children's' faces." He replied.

"I cannot wait to be telling them!" And with that, North turned and barreled out of the office, laughing loudly as he plowed his way through the throngs of people once more.

Moony merely shook his head and grinned.

.

* * *

.

The sound of the door slamming shut is what brought Hiccup back into the realm of consciousness. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out where he was for a moment and what he had been doing before it came back to him. His dad had sent him home, that's right. And Hiccup had been feeling so lousy when he got there that he immediately went up to his room and collapsed onto his bed. Toothless had approached him, curling up on him and trying to comfort him while Hiccup let his thoughts tear themselves apart over the guilt of what he'd said to Mildew, the guilt of the kind of son he was, the guilt of taking his mood out on his friends, and it all ran full circle and devoured itself like an ouroboros of anxiety and crippling self-deprecation.

He had fallen asleep then, a blissfully dreamless sleep, until just moments ago when he opened his eyes to the dark ceiling of his room. As heavy footfalls thundered up the stairs, he glanced at his bedside clock to see it was already eleven-thirty. Looks like dad was home late…

Oh hell, _dad_…

His bedroom door opened and the light flicked on quickly, temporarily blinding the boy as he sat up and covered his face, grunting at the sudden brightness.

"Hiccup, do you know what I just came home to?" Stoick asked, clearly upset.

Hiccup, eyes still a little spotty, glanced up at his father and blinked. "Uuuhhhm."

"Snow, Hiccup."

"Snow."

"Snow that you were supposed to shovel." He added with a glare.

"Oh, OH, oooooooh, oh man, dad, I'm so sorry, I just-"

"And I don't suppose you even had yourself any dinner?"

"Well, er, no, not exactly, I-"

"Hiccup, you know that's not good for you!" Honestly, Stoic seemed to be angrier over the fact that his son wasn't eating than he was about the snow. Hiccup found himself thinking, somewhat immaturely, that he was probably upset because not eating meant not growing any beefier.

A moment of silence passed between them during which Stoick's tense shoulders seemed to slacken a bit and his expression just looked so very _tired_. "Well, no sense worrying over it now. I wanted to let you know that we've already got a replacement lined up for the station manager. The company that owns the town's rail service found a volunteer to fill the position. He should be arrivin' within the next couple of days."

"O-Oh…" Hiccup nodded, swallowing. "That's, uh, good news for Berk then."

"Yes, it is."

"Look, dad… I'm sorry about the snow. I promise you, I'll wake up extra early in the morning and shovel whatever is still there, all of it, and I'll salt the driveway and everything."

But Stoick held his hand up and shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I've already handled it. Just… Get you some rest. You weren't looking well earlier. And make sure you eat all of your breakfast in the morning." Then, somewhat mirroring his actions from that morning, he sniffed as he seemed to contemplate any further words to share with his son, before deciding to simply nod at the wall, apparently satisfied. "Goodnight."

"G'night, dad…" Hiccup replied, still feeling lousy as Stoick flicked the light back off and closed the door. As soon as he was gone, Hiccup felt Toothless nosing at his palm, getting his attention. He glanced down with a light smile at the Burmese, giving him an affectionate rub. "Thanks bud. I'm sure things will be alright."

Pulling off his hoodie finally, which he had been wearing basically all day now, as well as his shirts, he tossed the garments across the room and made quick work of nestling himself beneath the covers of his bed, Toothless following him and getting comfortable beneath the heavy sheet, curling into Hiccup's side. It was a warm comfort on the cold winter night, and Hiccup absently scratched at the cat's ears as he stared at his ceiling, digesting information and letting himself drift back off.

"So, a new arrival in town, huh." He held himself back from voicing the thought that whomever it was would probably be better than Mildew. Though it seemed pointless, as it had already run through his head. Wondering what the next few days would bring were his last thoughts before drifting off to slumber.

.

* * *

.

"Jack! Mary!" The voice of Nicholas St. North boomed throughout the moderately-sized apartment as he stepped inside and shut the door firmly behind him, his voice alight with good news.

It wasn't exactly late, per se, but it certainly didn't seem like it was early enough in the night for such loud shouting. Or so were the thoughts of a lanky youth, roused by the sound of the man's loud bellow, and who was now scratching himself in odd locations as he made his way out of his room and into the hallway, crystal blue eyes blinking owlishly at his adoptive father. "What's up, North?" he asked sleepily.

Behind him he could hear the soft patter of his sister's feet as she came down the hall from her own room, sensing her stopping just behind him.

North crossed his arms and gave them a coy grin, stroking his long white beard as if in deep thought. "We are moving." He finally said, nodding.

The boy's face fell. "Oh. Okay."

Behind him, his sister sighed, pushing her curtain of chestnut hair to the side as she nodded, apparently crestfallen but accepting this all the same. "Where are we going this time?"

"Yeah, and why is that good news?" the brother added, slightly bothered. "It's pretty par for the course for us, North."

North stared at the two with bemusement for a moment before erupting into a fit of laughter. "Why, Jack? I tell you why! Because this time, is permanent!" And he emphasized this point with a dramatic upward gesture of his index finger, his long, extravagant red coat billowing about him as he moved.

Jack could hear his sister's voice pick up from behind him, the smile audible in her words. "Really dad? It's really permanent this time?" She asked hopefully.

"Yes, Mary!" North exclaimed, dropping down to one knee as she ran down the hall to meet him, throwing her arms as far around him as she could muster.

Jack did not seem convinced. "North, with all due respect, you've said that before."

North looked up from his happy little girl and nodded at Jack solemnly. "Yes, I know. And I am sorry. But I truly mean it this time. There is no chance for move, Jack! This town, Berk, has only one station manager. Only one! No one else in town is having experience or qualification for the job, and vacancy has opened!"

At this, Jack's eyebrows raised a touch, the dark browns nearly making contact with the shock of white he had sitting on his head. "Just one guy? Like, ever?"

"Yes Jack," North said, his words mixed with small bubbles of laughter as Mary grinned at him. "Only one, and this town _depends_ on station manager, Jack. And with no one else in town to do job, the company cannot risk transferring me again now that I have claimed position. No more transfers, no more moves!"

"No more moves…" the boy echoed back, as if wrapping his head around the idea seemed absurd. No more jumping around from place to place, no more saying goodbye to people he'd just barely met… "You're… You're serious? Like, totally, completely serious?" he asked, tentatively.

North nodded. "Jack, we are getting _house_ this time, not apartment. And all our things are coming out of storage."

Jack stared for at least five seconds as a small twitch began to tug at the corners of his lips, gradually blossoming into full-fledged smile as laughter began to well up inside him, the teen bouncing on the balls of his feet almost hyperactively. North's booming laughter filled the living room at the display, Mary joining in as the large man held out of his arms, inviting Jack in.

The boy took the invitation, running in and joining his sister in hugging the man as tightly as he could. "This is cool." He mumbled excitedly into North's shoulder, burying his face into the soft red of the man's coat. One of his arms snaked down to his sister, whom he pulled against him tightly.

A _house._ All his stuff! _Permanence._ It all sounded too good to be true. Which is exactly why a part of him still didn't believe it. A part of him was maintaining a cynical outlook that this was all gonna blow up in their faces. He tried to shake it off.

"Now, you two rest, because tomorrow, we pack! We leave! To our new home!" North spoke magnanimously as he stood from the group embrace, making wide, grand gestures at his children.

Mary bounced around, a giggling mess, tugging at Jack's shirt. "Home, Jack!"

He smiled back at her. "Yeah, Mary. Home."

He hoped.

.

* * *

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**Welp, that sure was a thing I did right there. Yep. Anyway, thoughts, reviews, questions, they are all appreciated!**


	2. Hard Lining

**Hey there, back again wth a new chapter of word vomit. Hope you enjoy. Also, my apologies to anyone who didn't go to school in the U.S., and thus might be confused by aspects of the school system.**

**And a big thanks to all of my reviewers thus far. Your words made me feel very nice.**

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**Chapter 2**

**Hard Lining**

**.**

The frigidity that hung in the air like a damp cloth was actually something of a welcome reprieve, breathed in gratefully by the boy with the sapphire eyes and messy white hair. The strands that wove together to form disheveled spikes seemed to stick out much more prominently in the dark of night, the coldness in the air adding to the stability of their appearance. He had been half concerned that he might get looked at weirdly for his choice of hairstyle in this somewhat small town, but when the train had finally docked and they were greeted by some rather burly men whose images exuded 'rugged', he only noticed small looks of intrigue before they seemed to direct their attention to his father.

He sat on the steps of the train car now, staring up at the silver disc of the moon with Mary cuddled up against his side. Between the warmth emanating from the open door of the passenger car behind him, and the warmth of his sister beside him, the cold that greeted him from the front created a rather pleasant combination, relaxing him and allowing him to dip himself into reverie.

North had seemed to be in quite the rush to get them all out of their previous home as quickly as possible, seeming to honor his word when he said he'd get them to their new residence within the day. Not that Jack could truly blame him. After all, the man seemed to be just as excited about the prospect of finally having a permanent home as Jack and Mary themselves were. Of course, Jack wasn't quite so sure that he was as excited as he truly should have been. And it wasn't merely because the town seemed so small and quiet (after all, it _was_ late, so quiet should have been normal). But try as he might, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something would go wrong, that this wouldn't last. His eyes scanned the surface of the moon as if in question, but he didn't expect to find an answer. After all, it was the moon. What was it supposed to tell him?

"Mmm, Jack," Mary mumbled beside him, and he immediately turned a fond smile down at her sleep-deprived eyes. The poor girl was trying her hardest to stay awake. "Do you think we'll be happy here?" she asked drowsily, her grip on his arm tightening.

He nodded. "I do. I mean, I hope so, but I think it's pretty likely." He replied with a chuckle as he ruffled the girl's hair softly. "You heard North on the way over here – he told us all about the cool culture these guys have. It'll be fun, right?"

She nodded mutely.

"And we even looked up all that stuff, and it all seemed pretty cool." He added by way of reassurance, referencing the bit of internet searching they had attempted with the train's spotty on-board signal. "And look at the sky, Mary." He urged the sleepy girl, nudging her head up. "Look at the moon, and all the stars. How long has it been since we were in a place where we could see them so clearly?"

Mary giggled to herself, shaking her head as she looked down and rested once again against her brother's side. "Jack, you're silly. You don't need to worry about how much I'll like it here." She angled her face upward then, soft eyes looking Jack's imploringly. "I'll be okay. It's just… you haven't stopped seeming worried since we started the trip, Jack. I guess what I meant to say was… do you think _you'll_ be happy here?"

Oh. Well, that question caught him a little off-guard. He swallowed and laughed nervously. "Of course, Mary. I'm happy anywhere you're happy." He then proceeded to hug the girl close, pinching her nose a little (earning a smack from now-flailing limbs), laughing more heartily as he did.

She giggled a bit in response as she pulled away, but didn't seem completely satisfied with that answer. Much to her brother's relief, though, she let it go. She looked off in another direction, where North was talking animatedly with one of the big fellows that had greeted them, a man with a huge red beard that rivaled her own father's, with hair that was knotted into a tight braid behind his head. He had come here to welcome them to the town, which she thought was nice, especially considering how late it was when they finally got here.

In fact, she was pretty sure that this was the latest she'd been allowed to stay up in a long time. It was well after midnight, after all, and a ten-year-old girl needed her beauty rest! Or so her dad had always told her. She smiled as she watched both of their beards shake about as they talked and even laughed a bit. The man had brought another person with him, a man who was extremely interesting-looking – he had a peg leg, and a fake hand that he could switch out to other hands, and he also had a long, long mustache that was braided like the other man's hair. Mary found herself wondering if all the grownups in this town looked like that. If they did, she was worried she might not be able to contain her giggles.

Jack, meanwhile, was merely relieved that she seemed content to let the subject drop between them. He shouldn't have been surprised that she brought it up, and honestly it made him feel guilty with himself. He shouldn't have his kid sister worrying about _him_. It was supposed to be the other way around. He repressed the urge to sigh, knowing that would just draw further attention from her, and instead focused on watching the shapes that the clouds of his breath formed in the air, finding it to be a pleasant distraction.

"Oi, Stoick!" called the man with the blonde, braided mustache as he hobbled over to the other man, making Jack's eyes widen as he noticed the multitude of baggage he seemed to be hoisting effortlessly over his shoulders. "You wanna give me a hand with this or no?" he asked, somewhat sarcastically, though the volume of his voice died down a bit as he neared the man and Jack's father, their conversation once again falling out of earshot. However, based on the gestures North was making, Jack could assume he was probably insisting that they could unload their own bags from the train.

But the other man – Stoick? – waved his hands at that, seeming to insist that he and his friend handle it. And it was with that that the conversation finally ceased, with Stoick following his friend to collect whatever bags remained. But seriously, there couldn't have been very many left. Jack was pretty confident that the other man had probably been bearing more than half the contents of their apartment on his back. It was amazing.

His thoughts were pulled back to his approaching father as he cleared his throat, seeming to be in good spirits.

"How are my sleepy ducks, eh?" he asked, clapping his hands together and rubbing them a bit.

Mary gave him an exhausted smile. "So, so sleepy." she replied.

"You could have slept on the train." North spoke in a mock-admonishing tone, wagging his finger for effect.

"But then I would have missed everything!" she replied, whining in an equally mocking fashion.

North chuckled warmly as he kneeled down to scoop her up, pulling her from Jack's side and rubbing his nose against hers, muttering some fond words in that native tongue of his that Jack had never been able to learn. Jack smiled at the display.

"So who were those guys?" he asked.

"Ah! That was Stoick Haddock and Gobber Bork." North spoke the names with a curious twerk of his lips. Jack couldn't blame him. They were pretty odd names, as far as he was concerned. "Stoick is mayor of this town." North went on to explain, causing Jack's eyes to widen a bit. "He came to greet us with his friend, and we spoke of getting arrangements in order. They are taking our things to the house now."

Jack laughed a bit. "Mayor, huh? I thought they were just some kind of welcoming party or something like that. Huh. Must not have too much going on if the mayor himself has the free time to visit every new arrival." the boy joked.

But North gave him just the slightest of disapproving looks at the remark. "Not at all, Jack. Stoick says he cares about town with all his heart! He feels he must always ensure that its people are made happy, and does not believe that good mayor overlooks even smallest of new arrivals."

Ah, well… huh, that actually sounded a little nobler. "Well… that's pretty cool then, yeah." Jack muttered back, sighing.

North shook his head fondly. "Relax Jack, it was mere misunderstanding. Now then!" he raised one arm skyward, the other still cradling the half-dozing Mary near his chest. "We follow Stoick to house, and get you two to bed! You need your rest so that tomorrow, we can start to settle in!"

This seemed to rouse Mary a bit as she pulled away from her bed in her father's chest, staring at him earnestly. "Does that mean we won't be going to school?" she asked, seeming rather downtrodden.

This sentiment seemed to confuse North, and he gave the girl a bemused smile. "Do you mean you _want_ to go to school?"

Mary nodded adamantly. "Yeah! I want to go and start meeting new people as soon as possible." she said, seeming to turn on the puppy eyes and wasting no time in arresting North in her gaze.

North wasn't quite sure how to respond. He glanced at his wrist then, pulling back a heavy red sleeve with black, furry trim to glance at a watch, taking note of the hour. He seemed to weigh the pros and cons of Mary's request, and finally settled his gaze questioningly at Jack.

Jack looked back, not sure what to say, until Mary also shot him a look, something that was both imploring and worrying. Jack offered North a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm with Mary. I wanna go to school too."

Oh, how he didn't really want to say that. He sort of wanted to spend tomorrow goofing off; exploring this new town, seeing what he could get up to here. School wasn't really at the top of his priorities at the moment. But, if it was what Mary wanted…

"You two know you will have to get up very early for registration, yes?" North asked, though his tone indicated he didn't really have much fight in him.

Mary nodded at him again, this time excitedly. "That's okay! I can get up early! And so can Jack! Right, Jack?"

Jack nodded again, giving her a grin. "Right. I mean who do you think you're talking to? I don't need sleep."

The family shared a laugh, North conceding at this point. "Very well. All the more reason to get you two to bed then! Time for sleeeeeep!" he carried that last word, his voice dipping an octave as if to convey the importance of the notion.

Mary laughed ecstatically as the large man twirled her about before settling on carrying her under his arm, the little girl letting her body hang limply from his large hand as they made their way towards an awaiting cab, the driver standing silently and patiently.

Jack took one last cursory glance at the moon, his expression belying doubt and concern, before he heaved the sigh he had been holding back, and then followed his father and sister to the car.

.

* * *

.

Anna Zabek released a graceless yawn that was rather at odds with her appearance, chin resting listlessly on her fist as she propped herself against the large meeting table. Of course it only took her a second to remember where she was, and to realize that every eye in the faculty chamber was now on her. She gave them a sheepish smile in apology.

"Ms. Zabek, I do apologize if the proceedings of this meeting are not to your liking." The principal spoke, his mouth pressed into a thin line. "But I would dearly appreciate it if I could hold your attention for just a moment longer."

"Sorry." she replied nervously, elegant brows arcing in apology as she straightened herself up. The principal then proceeded to resume his discussion on the upcoming academic exams of importance, changes that were being made to various schedules, changes to fund allocation starting on the following semester (Anna reminded herself that she really needed to make sure the arts department pulled its weight if she wanted to avoid a spending cut), and other such affairs. It wasn't that Anna was bored with the meeting – no, on the contrary, she considered herself to be something of a workaholic, really. She certainly had no qualms with doubling, even tripling up on the classes she taught. Of course, it helped that most of the other teachers had no interest in teaching her classes, and she would be damned if she let someone teach a subject that they themselves had no interest in. It would be unfair to the students!

But in any case, she simply found that she was incredibly _tired_ this morning. This was probably thanks to being up late into the night, obsessively catching up with the reading she herself had assigned to her students for English – hey! She had been occupied with other matters the past couple of days! – and didn't want to look like a fool in front of them. Besides, she had already used the common academic fallback of putting on a movie once already this week. She couldn't do it _again_. That would just be unprofessional!

Aaaaand she really needed to snap herself back to full awareness, because apparently the meeting was now over and the teachers were all beginning to stand, stretch, and exit the faculty chamber to face the day. Anna hastily stood, collecting her papers and preparing to leave along with them.

"Ms. Zabek, if you could please stay behind a moment?"

Oh boy. Oh no. She was in trouble, she must be in trouble. The principal never asked her to hang back after a meeting!

She straightened her back and turned to face the man, smiling sweetly. "Yes sir?"

"Relax, Zabek, I'm not about to chew you out." He replied with a roll of his eyes. Anna did visibly relax however, seeming immediately relieved. "I just wanted to inform you that you're getting a new student today."

"Oh, I am?" she asked, curiosity piqued. "Today? Why such short notice?"

The principal shrugged. "His family just moved into town last night, and his father was apparently so eager to get him into school as quickly as possible that they arrived early this morning for registration on the spot. He's getting your class for Homeroom, so I thought you could have one of your students show him around."

Oh. Oooooooh. A new student, from outside Berk, and therefore probably in possession of a more varied field of interests than most of the students here. A new student not knowing anyone, and probably in need of a friend. A friend who, perhaps, doesn't have many friends for himself?

Anna smiled. "I know just the student."

.

* * *

.

Hiccup stabbed at his breakfast of pancakes and sausage lethargically, unable to appreciate the warm, inviting aroma they exuded. His brow was furrowed in the same disconcerted expression it had seemed to be stuck in since Tuesday afternoon, and his normally rich green eyes appeared dull, and empty.

Next to him, his father was wearing his own downcast expression, though unlike his son he was at least eating his meal, albeit slowly. Stoick chanced a glance over, sighed, and cleared his throat. "You've been very quiet since Tuesday, Hiccup."

Hiccup stopped poking the sausage links.

"Did something else happen that I should know about?" Stoick asked.

Hiccup's breath caught in his throat. Oh, yeah, no dad, nothing at all, except for the fact that I told the old man to die. And then he did! No, that was surely something Stoick didn't need to be troubled with, right? Hiccup shook his head.

"Is Mildew's death really troubling you that much?" Stoick asked, legitimate curiosity in his tone. "I know it isn't wise to speak ill of the dead, but I never had the impression you cared for him at all."

Hiccup didn't know what to say to that. Of _course_ Mildew's death troubled him. Hiccup was convincing himself more and more with each passing hour that it had been his fault. _He_ had killed Mildew, all because he couldn't hold back his stupid voice. He was honestly surprised that Gobber and Phlegma hadn't told Stoick themselves what had happened yet.

Stoick sighed, irritability mixing with worry and sympathy. "You've almost seemed sick these past couple of days, Hiccup. It isn't good. You need to tell me what's on your mind."

The boy finally looked up from his plate, eyes fixed on his father as he opened his mouth, seemingly prepared to speak. Stoick looked hopeful for a moment, until he simply shut his mouth and turned away, his grip on his fork tightening and causing his knuckles to turn white.

Stoick grunted in exasperation before abruptly standing from the table, his meal unfinished for once. "I've got to go to work." he mentioned gruffly, haphazardly setting his plate next to the sink and gathering his things. "The new station manager arrived here last night, by the way." he added, though he doubted his son would care. "Have a good day at school."

Hiccup nodded and waved, mumbling a "Have a good day." as his father left, the door almost slamming behind him. If it were possible at this point, the exchange would have left him feeling even lousier, but as it stood he was already far too preoccupied with the grief of responsibility he felt for Mildew, as well as the self-loathing that came with the fact that he was _relieved _that Mildew hadn't had the chance to tell Stoick what Hiccup had said to him before he kicked the bucket.

A nudge at his leg snapped his attention to the large, black cat which eyed him curiously. Hiccup gave him a weak smile. "I really am a horrible person, aren't I, Toothless?" he asked, almost amused at himself.

Toothless hopped onto his lap and rubbed himself against the boy's chest, as if to reassure his human. 'You're beating yourself up too much over this,' it almost seemed to convey. Hiccup paid less attention to the implied message and more attention to the fact that Toothless was shedding his black fur all over his light green cargo pants. He picked the cat up off of his lap and set him down on the tiled floor, rising from his seat to dispose of his meal as well.

"Sorry, bud. Just not in a great mood." he told Toothless, who seemed mildly put off at having been brushed aside like that.

Hiccup left the house without saying another word.

.

* * *

.

"I just- I don't know what to do, Gobber." Stoick lamented as he hung his head over the tavern counter, his vast beard giving it a mild dusting. "I already find it hard enough to talk to him and now he just clams up completely, won't tell me a thing. I can tell something's wrong with him, but how am I supposed to do something about that if I don't know _what_?"

Gobber was busying himself cleaning out a large mug, the item held in a clamp-like prosthetic while his working hand minded the scrubbing. "You know Stoick, ah'm not the boy's mother." Gobber replied casually. "Ye can't just come runnin' to me with every problem you have with 'im."

"I know that!" Stoick replied harshly, pounding his fist on the counter. Gobber paid it no mind. "But his _actual_ mother is gone, Gobber, just in case you need reminding, and you're the only one I know who he seems to actually talk to!"

"Eh, he tells me a lot less than you might think." Gobber responded. "Seems to me Phlegma knows more'n'I do."

"Aye, ye know enough." Phlegma cut in, returning from one of her deliveries to collect more steaming mugs that Gobber had prepared for her. "Besides, does it surprise you? The boy needs a proper feminine influence in his life."

"And that 'proper feminine influence' would be you?" Gobber asked with a smirk. "Color me surprised…"

She immediately dealt the man a powerful smack to the back of his head. "One more remark like that, Gobber…!"

Gobber placed his wash rag down, rubbing at the back of his head and glaring. "Aye would ye look at that? Brutalized by my own employees! What kind'f establishment am I supposed to be runnin' here?"

On any other day, Stoick may have found all of this quite humorous, but today he was not quite in the mood for the antics. "Gobber, please focus." he stated exasperatedly. "Are you sure you don't know anything? Did he say anything to either of you when he dropped off the package on Tuesday?" At this, Gobber and Phlegma exchanged wary glances, and Stoick's eyes immediately narrowed. "You _do_ know something. Out with it!"

Gobber glanced away and released a very mild sigh. "Heccup may have said somethin' to Mildew while he was pickin' up the package. Somethin' I'm sure he's probably regrettin' in light of what happened."

Okay, now they were getting somewhere. "Well, what was it?"

"He told the old man to drop dead."

Stoick's eyes widened and he was immediately set upon by stress, a touch of sadness, and dread. "No…"

"Afraid so, Stoick." Gobber nodded at him, a sad look in his own eyes. " 'Parently, Mildew went off on his guns as usual and ended up… well, he said some negative things about your wife." the man explained, watching as Stoick placed his face in his hands, breathing out slowly. "Heccup wouldn't stand for it, and he said what he did."

"And now he probably feels responsible." Stoick finished for him, dejectedly. "Just like he felt responsible for... Of course, I should have seen the signs." He looked up imploringly at the two of them then, seeming to be at a loss. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

"You can be there for him, Stoick." Phlegma responded, nodding as if it were the simplest thing.

"If I knew how to do that, I wouldn't have so much trouble with him!"

"Oh, by Odin's beard…" the woman sighed, quite clearly fed up with this. "Just reassure him, Stoick! Let'im know it'll be okay, comfort 'im! You've got to still remember how to do that, doncha?" she asked him incredulously. "And it'd probably help if you could try'n'bond with him over the things _he's_ interested in for once."

Stoick raised a brow questioningly at her, the concept of bonding with his son being one that had long since become foreign to him. He felt as though there was something more she wanted to say, something she very quickly debated with herself over, but she plucked up her tray again and excused herself to go and help the customers.

Gobber watched her go with an expectant expression, as if he too had been waiting for her to share something new. Turning his attention back to Stoick, he clapped the man on the shoulder, giving it a light rub. "Ah, buck up, friend. You know what's botherin' him now, so all ye need to do is talk to him about it, eh? Come on, don't give me that look, it isn't as hard as you think it is."

Stoick nodded. "You're right. I'll have a talk with him. Tonight." He spoke surely but mostly to himself, as if trying to ingrain it firmly in his head. He wouldn't back out of this.

.

* * *

.

Hiccup sometimes wondered if he was literally the only person in his neighborhood that walked to school. It seemed to him like the walk was always a lot emptier on the first leg of the trip than it should have been. Did he always just get an early start? Or was everyone else just so lazy that they took the bus? He assumed it was probably the latter, considering that not everyone found the bus to be suffocating, uncomfortable, or noisy. He shrugged. It didn't really matter. Walking by himself always allowed him plenty of time for thought, which normally he'd enjoy. But right now? He could really use the distraction of having other people around. Which is precisely why he was looking forward to seeing Astrid today. She had been heavily occupied yesterday, and the two hadn't had much time to talk since Tuesday. As he neared the park where the two met up every morning, he found himself hoping she might be able to snap him out of this funk he was in.

Unfortunately, it didn't seem that that was in the cards today. The park came into view quickly enough, with its many snow-topped trees, finely-trimmed grasses, benches, and the fine, stilled pond that occupied its center looking particularly fetching with this current atmosphere. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Astrid. Hiccup tugged his phone from one of his many pockets, checking the time, only to see that it was well past the time when Astrid should have normally been waiting for him here.

He sighed. "She must be busy again. That coach of hers has been running her ragged…" he mumbled, dejected. He stood near 'their tree' for a while longer, just in case, but eventually determined that she wasn't likely to be showing up anytime soon. He turned, prepared to leave, until a bit of motion caught his eye.

He glanced up and across the respectably large expanse of water that made up the pond, and his eyes settled on a boy, whose most immediately striking feature appeared to be a head of white, spiky hair. Hiccup blinked. Well you didn't see that every day. The boy didn't appear to notice him yet, seemingly too occupied with staring into the glassy pond waters. Hiccup squinted a bit to try and get a better look at him, but he was a bit too far away for it, and Hiccup certainly wasn't about to go traveling all the way around the length of the pond just to reach the other side and gawk at some stranger.

It was then that the boy glanced up, his eyes trained on Hiccup and causing the brunette to feel a touch of embarrassment. Oh, great Hiccup, some stranger just caught you staring at him, that isn't weird at all. He rolled his eyes at himself, contemplating the idea of immediately disembarking as the stranger stood. It seemed that the white-haired boy beat him to the punch, as he turned and continued to head down the path on the opposite end of the park. However, Hiccup noted that his gaze seemed to linger, somewhat curiously, on Hiccup as he departed, their eyes holding contact before the boy finally turned away and tossed a wave over his shoulder (as if in afterthought).

Hiccup quirked his lips to the side. That was odd. He had certainly never seen that guy around before. Hiccup didn't exactly make a point of remembering every face in Berk, of course, but white hair was something he might think would stick out in his memory. Not to mention he'd never seen anyone else at this park so early in the morning, other than Astrid and–

Again his attention was drawn to some motion, this time from very nearby. He snapped his head to the right, leaping back in surprise as he saw an old woman sitting on the park bench that he had been standing beside. She was looking at him with an amused smile on her lips.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, Gothi. It's just you…" He patted his chest a bit, chuckling. "You startled me. Uh, how long have you been there?"

The woman cocked her head to the side at him and shrugged. Hiccup guessed she had been there a little while.

"Hah, here the whole time, huh? You really are quiet… But uh, why are you here? I've never seen you here in the morning before. Isn't it cold for you?" he inquired.

Gothi gave him a small smile and simply gestured to him, before patting the seat beside her.

Hiccup raised an eyebrow and gave her a disbelieving smile. "Were you… waiting here for me?"

She rolled her eyes, amused, and nodded. Hiccup decided he'd accept her invitation and sit. This was actually a good thing, now that he thought about it. He had needed someone to talk to, and while he hadn't been expecting to see Gothi here, she was definitely a welcome sight. After all, it wouldn't be the first time Hiccup had relied on her to offer him an ear. In actuality, he had relayed his woes to this mute old woman many, many times in the past. He wasn't sure what about her invited him in the way it did, but he suspected it might have something to do with his sense of security in knowing she couldn't go and blab all of his personal issues to other people if she ever felt so inclined to do so.

Not that she ever did, as far as he could tell. In fact, Hiccup was fairly certain that she hardly needed to be told anything anyway. The woman had this strange tendency to just… _know things_, it seemed. Well, even so, he never quite felt like making it easy for her.

"Soooooooo." He started, drumming his fingers on his thighs. "What can I, uh, do for you?"

The look she sent him was very much what he might liken to 'Are you serious?'

He chuckled. "You know, it's not like I always have some sob story to-"

She gave him another incredulous look and he sighed.

"So uh… I guess you'd like me to tell you what's on my mind?" His tone was tentative. The woman merely nodded. "Alright, well… you heard about Mildew, right?" Again, she nodded. "I… I saw him. You know, on the day that it happened. And I kind of feel like I'm responsible." he murmured as that sense of dread crept back into his voice. "See, I… I lost my temper with him. And I told him to drop dead. Then when I got out of school, I found out that that's exactly what he ended up doing."

His words seemed to mildly trouble Gothi, who stroked her chin a bit.

"A-and… Gothi, I don't know what to do. The guilt has been tearing me up and I… I even had the inhumanity to feel _relieved_ when I first found out he had died, Gothi. How, how is that any kind of okay?"

He felt the woman rest a hand on his shoulder, some of the tension loosening under the touch. He turned to look at her, all of his despair evident on his facial features. Before he could say anymore, however, the mute old woman held up a hand for silence, and then brought it to his chest. She tapped her index finger against the boy's heart, and then clenched her fist, her eyes meeting his in sadness.

She then turned away and pulled forth what looked like the shell of a peanut from a small bag she kept next to her. She held the shell up for Hiccup to see before swiftly closing her fist around it, smashing the shell into bits, an audible crack resounding from the action.

"I… I'm not sure I understand your meaning." He chose not to question why she kept a supply of peanut shells on her person.

Rolling her eyes, the woman stood from the bench and kneeled down toward the ground, her finger dipping into the snow there as she began to draw. Hiccup followed her example, getting off of the bench and stooping to see her drawing. She had drawn a heart in the snow, along with a crude frowning face that sat on top of it, before point again to Hiccup.

"My… heart is sad?"

Her lips pulled to the side in thought, as if debating his choice of words, but she nodded, deciding it was an acceptable interpretation.

"Well… Yeah, I guess it is. But why wouldn't it be? I mean, I already told you that I-"

She was shaking her head now. Quickly setting to work, she scribbled the word 'Mildew' above the sad heart, and when Hiccup looked at her questioningly, she shook her head and scribbled the name out in a flurry of slush. Then, below the sad heart, she wrote the word 'mother', circling it for emphasis.

Hiccup's eyes widened as he finally understood. "You're saying… I'm sad that Mildew died, but. It's more because… my mother…"

She nodded. Hiccup went silent as he contemplated the validity of that. Perhaps he hadn't been facing it, but he believed she was right – his last words to Mildew and the sickening guilt he was feeling. While valid, it was likely rooted in the memories of his mother. Back then, he had felt the same way, hadn't he? He felt a stinging in his eyes, but held it back. He didn't need to start crying in front of Gothi.

"Okay, so…" he started, a light treble in his voice. "What should I do then? I mean, regardless of where it comes from, I still said something I shouldn't have, and I still feel terrible about it."

Gothi stood then, giving him a soft smile as she pulled him to his feet and led him to the edge of the pond. She gestured at their reflections, staring back at them clearly in the still waters. She then stared at her own, and gave it a very firm nod. In one hand, she held a piece of string (Hiccup, once again, chose not to question where she had gotten it from, as she always seemed to have an odd assortment of items on her person). The string was tied in a loose knot, but as the woman nodded to her own reflection, she pulled lightly at the ends of the knot and caused it to come unraveled, a single, straight, dangling piece. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, I…" Hiccup thought he understood what she was getting at. "I just… need to accept what I did? And that's supposed to make it all better." His tone was nothing short of sarcastic as he gave the woman an incredulous stare. But she met it with her own and gave him another tilt of her head. "Gothi, you make the concept of forgiveness sound ridiculously easy."

It was her turn to give him a sassy look; her lips curled at the corner and one her eyebrows reaching for her hairline, as if to say 'isn't it though?'

Hiccup was about to retort, but the words died in his throat just before he could speak them, and he found himself looking at his reflection again. A slight breeze had ruffled the surface in bare traces, and his own image wobbled slightly at the edges, returning his uncertain look. He could feel Gothi rubbing his back. So he just had to… forgive himself. Just like that. Put it behind him and move on. Gothi really did make it seem so easy. And Hiccup honestly thought maybe she was on to something. After all, he had forgiven people before. He never really considered himself to be the type to hold a grudge, after all. And yet… forgiving _himself_. That one was always something that eluded him. Try as he might, there were certain shortcomings that he had never been able to stop dwelling on, no matter how much he wished he could. At most, he'd been able to push them to the back of his mind so that they didn't occupy his thoughts all the time, but…

Gothi gave him a hopeful look. "I guess… I'll try, Gothi. I mean, I don't really know where to start as far as going about it, but, I mean… if it's really that simple…"

She placed a finger to her lips, appearing to be in pensive thought. After a moment, however, she gave him a satisfied look, and nodded.

In spite of himself, Hiccup chuckled. "I feel like you know something else but aren't telling me. Of course, that's not exactly NEW, considering it's, well, you." he joked, making a few animated hand gestures as he spoke.

Gothi laughed a breathy, noiseless laugh, seemingly pleased at seeing that the boy was already starting to return to his normal demeanor.

"Well… haha, thanks, Gothi. I think I really needed this." He smiled at her softly, still quite obviously not over his troubles, but having been significantly helped along it seemed. "I think I should really get going, though. I'm probably going to be late at this rate…"

The old woman raised a finger then, halting his departure as she clearly had one more thing to show to him. She turned back to the pond, reaching down and collecting a small bit of snow in her hand. She held the snow up for Hiccup to see clearly.

"Er… yes, Gothi, that would be snow. It's very nice."

The short woman gave him a light whack on the back, shaking her head in amusement as she then tossed the snow into the pond. As it made contact with the water's surface, the mostly undisturbed pond finally came to life with a body of ripples that spread outward in a broad, circular fashion. It was at this point that Gothi grabbed Hiccup's hand and squeezed as she pointed at the ripples with her other hand, as if to emphasize the importance of the point she was making.

"Ahhhh, uhm. Okay, so, ripples." She yanked on his arm. "Ow! Okay, okay, uh…" He tried to look closely, attempting to decipher the woman's riddles. The ripples continued to spread, rolling across his reflection, as he simply stared. "I'm sorry, Gothi, I'm just not getting it."

Sighing, Old Gothi released Hiccup's hand and immediately began shoving him off toward the path leading out of the park.

"Whoa, wha, wait, so you're just giving up? That's – ah! Stop shoving – that's unlike you."

The woman finally stopped prodding him as they arrived at the entrance, Hiccup now standing once again on the sidewalk. She gave him a knowing smirk before shaking her head, conveying how hopeless she clearly thought him to be.

Hiccup responded with a wry smile. "Well, thank you, I guess, for another confusing session of pseudo-therapy. I am very sorry that I couldn't understand you, but alas, I am but a lowly Hiccup, and could not hope to ever comprehend your mighty not-words of wisdom." He made a gallant display of bowing as if in concession, and when the woman raised her hand at him in mock threat, he laughed slightly and turned away, jogging off toward school.

.

* * *

.

Hiccup found it to be nothing short of miraculous that he had managed to make it to first period on time, even having a few minutes to spare, in spite of his holdup at the park. But sure enough, the classroom was still being filled by the time he arrived and took his seat, no one seeming to be in a great hurry, much to his pleasure.

He settled into his desk, trying not to let his mind dwell too much on Gothi's latest batch of riddles so that he could be better prepared for the day. Something told him that Anna was going to be ready to strike back with a vengeance today, after the little movie debacle yesterday (Hiccup could tell she just hadn't been prepared for her own assigned reading).

But speaking of the bouncy woman, she was glancing up from some paperwork on her desk now, which had apparently had her rather engrossed until just a moment ago, and noticed Hiccup's presence in her classroom. A smile lit up her face and Hiccup braced himself for whatever she was about to come at him with. It wasn't that he minded the woman's excitement at all, not really. It's just that he tended to find that dealing with so much excitement so early in the morning usually took some mental preparation for someone like him. And this woman seemed to have a habit of collecting important pieces of news, which she always felt the need to share with Hiccup.

She flitted over to his desk quickly, setting her hands on the wooden surface and leaning forward a tad to meet Hiccup's eyes, which were now directed upward from his slouched position to meet her lustrous blue irises. Hiccup wondered sometimes if she wore lenses to color her eyes at all, because he swore that the blues of her eyes were so vivid that they almost looked purple sometimes.

"Uh… hey there, Ms. Zabek. What's up?"

"Well, Hiccup, I am glad you asked!" she stated happily, not minding propriety too much at the moment, as class had yet to start and most of the students in the classroom weren't paying them any mind. "See, I was told by the principal this morning that our humble little school is getting a new student. And, since he's getting our class as Homeroom, I was asked if I could find someone to show him around."

"Oh… Is, is that right?" Hiccup knew where this was going and wasn't sure if he was thrilled with the idea.

"It is indeed. So, I have decided to designate you, Hiccup, as the student who will show our new friend around. Sound good?"

"That depends. Do I have a choice?"

Anna gave him a coy smirk. "Nope."

"Then in that case, yes, it sounds fantastic." Hiccup replied with his typical dry sarcasm.

Anna simply shook her head at him and giggled. "Oh lighten up, Hiccup, I'm sure you'll get along just great." And with that, she turned to head back to her own desk as more students milled into the classroom, the clock ticking down to the start of class.

Hiccup gave himself a moment to consider the information, wondering briefly who on earth would want to move to a dead-end town like Berk (you know, other than Anna). However, the pieces clicked themselves together pretty quickly. He remembered what his dad had said earlier that morning about the station manager having already arrived in town. And then in another moment of clarity, now that his mind was free of other pressing distractions, realized that the boy he had seen this morning at the park was, in all likelihood, the very same student he would be showing around.

The class bell rang then just as Anna stepped outside the classroom, her eyes drawn to something in the hall. Hiccup adjusted his position in his chair so that he could crane his neck a bit and look outside the open door. Yep, suspicions confirmed. Anna stood out in the hallway, conversing with one of the principal's secretaries, who was standing beside a boy who looked about Hiccup's age. A boy with a familiar head of spiky white hair.

For a split second, Hiccup was pretty sure the boy looked directly at him again, much like he had this morning, their eyes locking for the barest of instances before he diverted his gaze to something else. Hiccup once again got that weird notion in his mind. The guy certainly did seem odd.

It was only another moment before the secretary excused herself and Anna stepped back into the classroom, the new student trailing behind her. She stopped him in front of her desk, turning to face the class and clasping her hands together. The boy stood beside her, shuffling his feet a little awkwardly, clearly feeling as though he was in an unwanted spotlight. However, Hiccup noted the faint trace of a smirk that seemed to be trying to surface as the guy observed the classroom, his eyes filled with intrigue.

"Class, we have ourselves a new student! Isn't that great?" The teacher asked with a smile. "This is Jackson Overland, and he will be joining us for the remainder of our school year."

"Ah, actually, if you could just call me Jack, that'd be great." he spoke up from beside her, and Hiccup was impressed that he was lacking a great deal in timidity, giving the teacher a toothy grin.

However, much to his surprise (and the amusement of the class), Anna immediately gasped upon seeing his smile, her hands moving like lightning as her index fingers hooked into his cheeks, spreading them a bit as she peered into his mouth.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed, sounding more amazed than any other time Hiccup had seen her do this (which, sadly, was quite a few times). "Your teeth are so _white_! And straight! And I don't see even one cavity or filling!"

Jack was very evidently in distress, his eyes wide and arms flailing as he looked around the classroom frantically, trying to figure out what was happening to him. However, only giggles from some of the students greeted his hapless attempts at finding help, all of them clearly used to this display. "Aaaaaaaah, I- mih zavek, wha'are you gooing?" he attempted to ask as best he could with a pair of fingers in his mouth.

But the woman did not seem to notice, as she was now rambling to herself. "My goodness, you must floss at least five times a day, and oooh, I'll bet you don't skimp costs on toothpaste and mouth wash, ahhhhh, look at those incisors!"

Finally taking pity on the boy, Hiccup swallowed a laugh and spoke up. "Ms. Zabek. You're doing it again."

The boy's voice seemed to snap the woman out of whatever trance she had been in, and she very quickly pulled her hands back to herself, eyes wide and a vibrant shade of pink tinting her cheeks. "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry, Jackson! I-ah-I, uhm,"

The class was laughing now as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, mumbling apologies.

Jack was still quite perplexed at the woman's unusual behavior. He couldn't honestly say he'd ever had a teacher stick her fingers in his mouth before. He coughed a couple times, looking away from her. "Yeah, uhm, no problem, I guess?" He supposed he should feel complimented? I mean, he clearly had awesome teeth, right? "And it's, uh, Jack."

"Right, right, sorry Jack." she mumbled. Hoo boy, if any of the other teachers had been here to see that… "Ahem! Well, uhm, everyone, please do your best to make Jack feel welcome! Er, Jack, why don't you take that empty seat back there for now? I'll figure out a permanent place for you tomorrow." she instructed awkwardly, not meeting her student's eyes.

Jack nodded, giving her a slightly amused smile, before following her direction. As he stepped through the aisle to his directed seat, though, Hiccup once again noted how he locked eyes with him, seemingly intent on staring at him as he walked past. As the boy neared, Hiccup could see now that his eyes were a rather striking crystal blue color, and they seemed, if anything, to encourage Hiccup into staring right back at them.

However, the moment was only that: a moment. It took no more than a couple seconds for Jack to break the staring contest and turn his face back toward the back of the classroom, where his seat awaited. Hiccup shook his head and fixed his eyes back toward Anna, who was already through with roll call and was beginning her lesson in earnest, clearly eager to get her embarrassing incident behind her.

.

* * *

.

"Aaaaaalright, and there's one for you, too." Anna finished writing the note with a flourish, admiring her penmanship before handing it over to Jack.

He and Hiccup were presently standing before the teacher's desk, the classroom now empty save for the three of them, as Anna had asked that they stay behind a moment. She had then proceeded to write a couple of excusal notes that would permit Hiccup and Jack to roam the campus freely.

"Alright, Hiccup, you know the drill?" she asked the boy with a smile, her large earrings swaying almost hypnotically as she turned her attention to him.

"Yeah, I just need to show him around campus, right?"

"Mmhm, make sure he knows where all of his classes are, too. Jack, you have your schedule?" she asked of the white-haired teen, looking at him now.

He nodded, pulling the slightly rumbled piece of paper from the front pocket of the blue hoodie he wore. "Yeah, right here."

"Alright then. Those notes I wrote you will excuse you for as long as you need to be, so don't be afraid to take your time in showing him around, Hiccup." Her eyes then narrowed slightly as she adopted a warning tone. "But also, don't think this means you can just goof off and use my note as an excuse."

Hiccup nodded, amused. "Right. Don't rush, but don't dillydally, gotcha."

"Glad you understand. Now, you two get going! I've got to make some preparations for my other classes." The woman waved her hand at them, causing her bracelets to jingle as she shooed them out, Hiccup and Jack taking the cue to make their exit.

As soon as the two had gotten into the hallway, Hiccup immediately felt more than a little awkward. After all, this was still someone he didn't know at all, and the limit of their interactions thus far had been extended bouts of weird eye contact. Still, he figured he ought to break the ice somehow…

"Hiccup, right?" Or, the other guy could beat him to the punch again, okay.

Hiccup looked at him as they began walking in no particular direction. "Ah, yep. And you're Jack."

"Sure am." he replied with a mild chuckle that rumbled low in his throat, clearly finding something about this situation amusing.

"Yes, well. Nice to officially meet you, Jack." Hiccup stated with a slow nod, smiling a touch because the amusement was a little infectious.

"Yeah, I guess it's less creepy this way than to be silently stared at from across a pond, right?"

At that Hiccup found himself bursting out into quiet chuckles before he could stop himself. The observation itself was a little amusing, sure, but it was more in the way that Jack had phrased it, his tone of voice, that had been particularly funny to him. "Ahaha, yeah, right."

Looking to both sides almost conspiratorially, Jack leaned a little closer to Hiccup, confusion on his face. "So what's the deal with that teacher? It isn't every day that I have someone shove their fingers down my throat."

This caused Hiccup to stifle more laughs at the boy's expense. "That's Ms. Zabek for you. As I understand it, her parents are both accomplished orthodontists, and while she went ahead and majored in art in college, she's apparently had a fascination with teeth ever since she was a child growing up. Apparently the tooth fairy was her hero." the brunette explained, watching as Jack nodded along. He still probably thought she was weird.

"You said she majored in art?"

"Yeah, but she teaches English and Home Ec, too. Kind of married to her work, I guess."

Jack nodded once again, and the two seemed to fall back into a brief silence as they paced the halls. Not one to let it last, however, Jack spoke up again with a jovial, inviting tone.

"So, Hiccup, huh? Kind of an unusual name, if you don't mind my saying so." Jack observed as he raised his arms behind his head in a rather careless display, almost maintaining a superior air about him.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at that. "Yeah, well, you're not really from around here, so I guess you'd think so. It's sort of a Viking thing."

"Viking? So those stories I heard about this place being founded by Vikings are true?"

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "You heard stories?"

"From my dad, who heard it from his boss. I may have done a little digging on the internet, too." he added with a somewhat roguish smirk.

Hiccup returned the smirk, though his held a touch of 'you're amusing'. "Well yeah, that's what I hear. I mean, I don't really have any proof of that, mind you, it's all basically assumed. But I mean, my dad and all the generations before him seem pretty committed to the culture, so, my best guess is that it's probably true, with or without historical evidence."

Jack hummed a bit, thoughtful for a moment. "Yeah, I guess I'd probably be inclined to agree with you. The people I've seen so far do certainly look the part, haha. Still though, naming a kid Hiccup seems silly all the same."

"Yes, well, rest assured that you're not the only one who gets a laugh out of it."

"Hey, hey!" Jack responded immediately, raising his hands disarmingly. "I wasn't really making fun of it. I dunno, it kinda suits you I think."

Hiccup gave him a blank stare, his mouth slightly crooked. "It suits me?"

Jack nodded and chuckled again. "Yep. I look at you and I think 'does that look like an Edgar? James maybe? Nah. How about Mark? Nope. Hiccup? Ah, yeah, that one fits.'"

Hiccup regarded the boy with an odd expression as small laughs bubbled up again. "That's an interesting observation you've made, there."

"Yeah, I'm pretty good at that."

Before discussion could move any further into the territory of his name, Hiccup snatched the schedule from Jack's hand, shaking his head at the teen's surprise while his eyes scanned over the classes. "Alright, so, you've just been to your first period, so I assume you can remember where that is."

Jack nodded. "Yeah, I've done this moving around thing a lot, so my memory has kinda had to adapt to learning new school layouts pretty quickly."

Interesting knowledge to tap into later. "Alright. You've got algebra for seco- wait, really? Just algebra?"

Jack stared at him, confused.

"What grade are you in, Jack?"

"Uh, eleventh. Same as you, Hiccup, come on."

"Yeah, so, why is an eleventh grade high school student only taking algebra 1? I mean, you should have gotten past geometry by now."

"…Yeeeeeeah, well, suffice to say math isn't really my best subject, alright?"

Hiccup smirked at him. "So you're number retarded."

"Hey!"

"Moving on." Hiccup ignored the protest, incredibly amused with himself as Jack seemed to pout at him. "You've got US History for third. Ah, fun, everyone's favorite, time-wasting class…"

"What? Dude, no, history is interesting."

"Well yeah, it _can_ be. But I've never honestly felt all that compelled by the history of the states. I mean we only have a few standout events. Plus, you'll find that most of the people here don't give two licks about any history that doesn't pertain to this town somehow, or to our Viking ancestors." Hiccup explained, his hands moving in wide gestures to emphasize his various points.

Jack found the behavior funny. "Ya know, you move your hands around a lot when you talk."

"Yes, thank you for pointing that out." Hiccup returned his attention to the slip of paper, now more conscious of his movements (though he wouldn't admit that). "Fourth is mythology, huh?" he glanced upward. "You interested in that stuff?"

Jack nodded proudly. "Sure am. Mythology is interesting for the same reason History is, and the two usually go together, you know? Couldn't think of a better elective to take."

Hiccup nodded. "Understandable. Anyway, we have our lunch period after fourth. Then for fifth you've got film production – oh, hey, you've got that one with me."

"I do?" Jack asked, perking up a bit. "Cool. Good to know there'll be at least one person I know in there."

Hiccup wanted to smile at that, but thought it might be a little weird. Still, he definitely appreciated the sentiment. They'd only just met, but Jack was being perfectly amiable, and the fact that he seemed happy to have a class with Hiccup was a bit endearing, he'd admit. It was certainly a nice change of pace from most of the people in this school. "Yeah, guess we have at least one similar taste." he sort of let slip out. Gah, no Hiccup, don't say that, you'll seem too eager to be buddy-buddy.

Jack, however, just smiled at him. "Well yeah, who doesn't like TV and movies?"

"Well, pretty much no one our age, sure. But most people aren't really interested in _making_ TV or movies."

"I guess that's true." Jack replied with a nod, as though just realizing that information for the first time.

"Aaaand for sixth, you've got phys ed, huh? Guess you got your science credits out of the way already?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, the last couple high schools I was at only required a couple years of it, and I got those done in Freshman and Sophomore year. PE is a pretty easy filler class, too, so I guess the second half of my day is gonna be pretty easy on me with just that and a couple electives, huh?"

"Seems like it, sure." Hiccup decided not to mention that he'd opted to get his Physical Education credits out of the way early, much the same as Jack had with science, so that he could avoid having to take it in his latter high school years. You know, when all of the other kids would be even bigger than they were before and he would be even more ridiculously overshadowed. "I've got chemistry for sixth, myself. Haven't done all of my science credits yet."

"Cool, cool." Jack agreed absently, looking around the empty hallways. "So, where do I go for my second class?"

"Ah, right, this way." Hiccup turned on his heel, heading in the opposite direction and bade Jack follow him. The walk was silent for all of ten seconds before he decided to speak up again. "So you've implied a couple of times now that you move around a lot?"

He swore he saw Jack's shoulders twitch a fraction, just for a second, but the teen made no other indication of discomfort as he answered. "Yeah. My dad, he's the new station manager here, you know?"

"Yeah, I kind of figured." Hiccup replied, glad to have that information confirmed, even if it was a little obvious at this point. "You guys just got in last night then, right?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, pretty late too. But anyhow, my dad's work has had him moving us around a lot over the years. See, he's basically super qualified and experienced with the company, because he used to take jobs filling in for managers across the country all the time. See, most places where Eclipsing Rail has stations have multiple managers, right? And they step down all the time, so he'd just take transfers wherever he was needed, to fill in till permanent replacements could be trained. He loved it, said he got to see a ton of places that way."

"So, you've basically been taken along for the ride every time he took a transfer?"

"Nah, not quite." Jack said, shrugging. "See that was before he adopted me and my sister."

"Oh, you're adopted?"

"Yep. He got us pretty young, and because of that he wanted to stop moving around and whatnot, and that worked for a while. But then I guess some years back, a whole bunch of people left the company at once, and he ended up being needed big time. So, even though he wanted to stay in one place, he ended up getting transferred, and it's been like that ever since."

"Wow. That sounds pretty rough." Hiccup's response held a touch of sympathy, as well as a little bit of surprise that Jack was telling him what he imagined must be a slightly personal story so soon.

But the teen merely shrugged and grinned. "Nah, not really. I mean, like him I've gotten to see a bunch of cool places and meet a bunch of cool people because of that, you know? Man, the places I've been, you don't even know."

And just like that, now Hiccup was a little envious. The only places he'd ever seen outside of Berk and the few surrounding towns were on the internet. "So, I guess you'll probably only be here for a little while, then?"

"Actually, supposedly not." Jack replied. "The last place we were stationed was actually in New York, where the main office for ER is located. And my dad heard about the position that opened here and asked to fill it right away. Since this place only has a single manager position, thanks to its size, his thinking is that the company won't be able to move him anymore, since they can't afford to leave this place without someone to manage it. So we're supposed to be staying here permanently."

Ouch. Hiccup felt sorry for the guy. All that traveling around to cool, exotic places, only for him to end up stuck here? That was rough. Still, Jack didn't seem to be particularly upset by it, so Hiccup decided he wouldn't try to rain on his parade by telling him how awful he thought this town was.

"So, is the hair natural?" he asked jokingly, trying to change the subject.

Jack snickered. "Pft, what do you think?"

"I'll take that as a no." Hiccup gave him a lopsided grin. "It's pretty unique though. I haven't seen very many people who dye their hair or anything like that, and when they do it's usually not such an unusual color. I think as far as oddly-colored hair goes, it's just pretty much you and Anna."

"Hey, it's not that odd, is it?" Jack asked somewhat self-consciously, glancing up at his white locks.

Hiccup smirked. "Nah. It 'suits you'. I look at you and I think 'Hm, that Jack guy, how would he look with black hair? No? How about red? Nah, that isn't it. Blonde? Close, but no. What about white? Ah yes, that's the ticket.'"

Jack stared at Hiccup for a couple moments, a small grin breaking onto his face as he laughed quietly. "'That's an interesting observation you've made there.'" he parroted back at the brunette.

This of course caused the both of them to devolve into a small fit of giggles. Hiccup had decided quite assuredly at this point that he liked this Jack character. He was fun. After Jack got his laughter under control, he perked back up as if remembering something and stared at Hiccup. "Who's Anna?" he queried.

"Oh, sorry. Ms. Zabek. She likes to talk to me a lot outside of class, so I kind of have a habit of calling her by name."

"Ahhhh, getting personal with teacher, hm? Didn't take you for that kind of guy, Hiccup." Jack teased, wagging his eyebrows suggestively at the boy.

"Pf-NO, not like _that_, come on," Hiccup stammered back, immediately flustered by the implication.

Jack merely laughed into his hand. "Yeah yeah, whatever you say."

The loud sound of a door being firmly shut a bit further up the hall reminded Hiccup that there were classes in session, and that the teacher who had just closed that door was probably getting annoyed with the level of noise the two were making in the hall. He coughed. "We should probably lower our voices a bit."

"Yeah, wouldn't want the rest of the classes hearing all about your sordid affair with Ms. Zabek."

If looks could stab, Jack would be full of daggers right now.

With the conversation and lollygagging put on hold for now, it didn't take much longer after that for Hiccup to show Jack where his various classrooms would be located, keeping his explanation of the school's layout as concise as possible and giving the white-haired teen small quizzes here and there about the information he was supplied with.

"And here is your locker bay." Hiccup stated, drawing his tour to a close as the two of them arrived in one of the many locker-lined hallways of the school. "Your locker is number 1300, down there." he explained, gesturing down the hall. "The fact that mine is in the next hall over only proves my point that schools intentionally put lockers as far away from the student's first period as possible."

Jack glanced over at him. "Oh, yours is in the next hall? Which one is it?"

Hiccup gave him a narrowed eye. "Why do you wanna know that?" he asked, wary.

"Well it certainly isn't so that I can leave pranks in it or anything."

Hiccup turned away. "Right well, you should have your combination, so I'll leave you to that, and then you can get to your next class."

Jack pouted at him, mumbling something about him being a 'poor sport'.

Hiccup turned to walk away, but hesitated for a moment, turning to look back at Jack who was eyeing the little slip that had his combination written on it. "Oh, and uh, Jack?"

He turned his gaze upward. "Hm?"

"Uh, you remember where the cafeteria is, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, er." He rubbed the back of his neck. "If you want, you can sit with me and my friends at lunch. You know, till you make your own friends and all."

Jack took a moment to digest the invitation before bobbing his head slowly, as if unsure, a light smile playing at his lips. "Er, yeah, that would be cool."

Hiccup cleared his throat, not sure as to why he was feeling so awkward about having asked. It was just a lunch invitation, what was the big deal? "Alright, yeah, good. So uh, guess I'll see you at lunch then."

"Yeah, see you." Jack raised his hand partially in a lazy wave, his eyes very obviously resting on the lockers around him, or the floor, or anywhere that wasn't Hiccup. Jeez, and why was _he_ getting all awkward now? This whole situation was just weird.

Rather than say anything else about it, Hiccup just nodded quickly and turned away, heading for what remained of his second period class. He shook his head a bit in an attempt to clear his suddenly muddled head.

.

* * *

.

Hiccup scanned the seemingly endless sea of faces as he entered the cafeteria, feeling unreasonably nervous as he did so. Jack was probably fine, Hiccup had shown him around very thoroughly, and he highly doubted that he would forget where the cafeteria was. Still, he couldn't help but worry about the prospect that the white-haired boy had still somehow managed to lose his way and wouldn't show up.

Hiccup already had his tray of food in hand, and at the moment was just standing around and waiting, probably looking foolish as students made their way around him to find tables. Still, he wasn't about to just go and find his friends so soon. He had given Jack an invitation, after all, and it would be rude if he wasn't around when the boy finally showed up. Sure enough, his patience paid off when he spotted Jack stepping into the spacious dining area, looking around in apparent wonder at how different it seemed when it was actually filled with people. He had a tray of food in his own hands, though Hiccup noticed that his selection was pretty sparse. Either he wasn't a big eater, or he just didn't like the food.

Either seemed plausible.

Hiccup took a breath and stepped over to him, crossing the distance of a couple dozen or so feet that separated them and got the boy's attention with a simple "Hey."

Jack snapped out of his apparent daze and turned toward the brunette, smiling in recognition. "Hey there Hiccup. You here to pick me up? That's awfully gentlemanly of you."

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the implicative comment. "Yeah, I'm a regular Casanova. Come on." He gestured over his shoulder with a jerk of his chin and began to walk off, Jack following close behind.

"So what are your friends like?" Jack asked from behind him.

"How am I supposed to answer that?" Hiccup asked, perplexed. He never did find it easy to describe someone in a short sentence. He always felt like there was too much to anyone for that to work. "Nice, I guess? You'll meet them soon anyway."

Jack chose not to question him further as they weaved their way through bodies that were almost all taller than his companion, and Jack was beginning to finally understand the apparent nature of Viking bodies. He had an inch or so on Hiccup, he could tell, but he still felt small by comparison. Most of the girls were around Hiccup's height or taller, too, so it wasn't just the guys who shot up, apparently. There were, of course, a few people here and there who were shorter than the both of them, but they seemed to make up for that by being much… well, wider. In the muscly sense.

It made him wonder how Hiccup managed to be both shorter and, from the looks of him at least, slighter in frame than Jack was. Oddball Viking? Maybe.

It didn't take very long for the duo to arrive at Hiccup's preferred lunch table, and as soon as Astrid laid eyes on him she was immediately apologizing. "Oh, Hiccup, there you are. Sorry I wasn't at our spot this morning, I know I've been busy a lot, but we've got a competition coming up in- who's this?" The girl suddenly cut herself off mid-sentence as she noticed the boy following behind Hiccup.

Across the table from her, Fishlegs had already noticed him and was giving him a welcoming smile, though he waited for Hiccup to make the introduction.

"Guys, this is Jack." Hiccup nodded at the boy. "He's new here, just got in last night. His dad's the new station manager for Berk."

"Oh!" Astrid seemed pleased to hear this, giving him a smile. Jack noted, however, that the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Well, glad to have you aboard then."

"Oh my, Astrid, no, did you seriously just make a train pun?" Hiccup deadpanned at the girl.

Her eyes widened a fraction as she covered her mouth, but then chuckled moments later. "Aha, wow, I guess I did."

Fishlegs snickered a bit too before holding out one large hand to Jack. "Nice to meet you Jack. That's Astrid, and I'm Fishlegs."

Jack smirked at the moniker and shifted the balance of his tray onto one hand, using the other to accept the handshake. "Nice to meet you guys." He then proceeded to sit himself down next to the rather large-framed boy, while Hiccup took his usual seat next to Astrid. "So, Fishlegs huh? Is that another Viking name?" he asked both of the eponymous boy as well as Hiccup and Astrid.

"Well, his real name is Frodi." Astrid replied. "But yeah, it's kind of a Viking thing. See, in the old days, Vikings would give their kids scary or unappealing names to discourage trolls and goblins from stealing them when they were born. We may live in the modern age now, but the tradition is still kind of upheld."

"Everyone gets a sort of normal name when they're born," Fishlegs cut in. "But the parents usually come up with a nickname not long afterward and start just using that."

"So you know, if we ever get out of town, the people of any other place we go to won't have to see something embarrassing on our State ID cards." Hiccup added, sounding like he was lacking in appreciation for the concept.

"Huh… that's actually kinda cool." Jack mused. "So you kind of get like, two names. One that you can go by anywhere else and one that the people here know you by. It's neat."

"Haha, yeah, but some people don't go for it." Fishlegs went on, gesturing to Astrid. "Like her. As soon as she was old enough to talk she wouldn't let her parents call her by her nickname anymore."

"Oh? What was it?" Jack asked, sounding interested.

"She won't tell us." Hiccup replied, smirking. "And she says she never will."

"My parents are sworn to secrecy about it." Astrid huffed. "So don't bother asking them, either."

Jack laughed. "Well I don't even know your parents, so I don't think you have to worry about that."

"Well, you might meet them is all." Astrid responded nonchalantly. "I mean, if you're gonna be hanging around us, it's an eventual inevitability. My folks can be busybodies about who my friends are."

Jack blinked a couple of times at this while the girl simply went about eating her meal as though she hadn't said anything unusual. "Friends, huh…" he mumbled, just barely loudly enough for Fishlegs to hear. The larger boy smiled, but didn't mention it. A new idea then planted itself in Jack's head as he looked up at Hiccup, smiling. "So then what's your real name? Or did your parents actually name you Hiccup?"

Hiccup didn't look like he'd been expecting the question, and his face seemed to drop when it was asked. Jack could see the change and immediately felt like he had done something wrong, especially when Astrid's expression turned into one of mild concern when she looked at Hiccup, but Fishlegs came to his rescue.

"Psh, as if any of us would even know." he joked good-naturedly. "I don't think Hiccup himself can even remember being called anything else."

Hiccup forced a chuckle. "Ahaha, yeah, it's just been Hiccup for as long as I can remember."

Jack felt like they weren't telling him something, but let it go. After all, he had only just met these people. He shouldn't consider himself privy to their private details.

"You know Jack, you have pretty cool-looking hair." Astrid brought up suddenly, leaning forward on one arm as if to get a better look. "Definitely helps you stand out. I don't think we'll have any trouble finding you in a crowd."

Jack smiled back at her. "Well then I guess I know I'm safe if I ever get lost."

"You might want to sob a little, just in case." Hiccup added, seemingly back to his normal mood. "Astrid and I are trained to respond to the sound of crying thanks to Fishlegs here."

Fishlegs immediately looked exasperated. "Okay, I cried _one time_, come on guys!"

Astrid snickered into her hand. "Fishlegs who are you trying to kid? You cry all the time. Like when you're scared."

"Or apprehensive." Hiccup added.

"Or worried."

"Or paranoid."

"Or-"

"Okay, we _get_ it." he replied quickly, seemingly adamant in his desire to make them stop. He then cast a cursory glance at Jack before aiming his face down at his food. "So much for first impressions…"

Jack gave the boy a sympathetic smile, equal parts surprised and pleased to learn that someone so large (and who looked like they could tear Jack in half if they wanted to) could still be so sensitive. He patted his arm. "Hey, don't worry about it Fishlegs. I don't think any less of you for it or anything. It's pretty cool, actually."

Fishlegs perked up at that, giving him a grateful smile. "Really?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah, of course. Everyone should be in touch with their feelings, right?"

Astrid's gaze, which Jack noted had been a little icy in spite of her friendliness thus far, seemed to noticeably soften at that. Not entirely, of course, but noticeably all the same. Jack couldn't quite get a read on this girl. She seemed friendly, and yet a tiny bit… hostile? No, not quite that far. But something about her definitely seemed to give him the impression that he was being tested or something. He wasn't sure if anyone else noticed it, however, as Hiccup wasn't acting at all out of the ordinary.

"Anyway," Jack said, picking the conversation back up. "You're actually only the second person to mention my hair, Astrid. Hiccup mentioned it this morning, but for all his claims that it's so unusual, I haven't really had anyone else say anything so far. At most, I guess I've gotten a couple weird looks, but that's it."

"Well, it _is_ unusual." She replied conversationally. "But, it doesn't surprise me that no one would say anything about it. Not a lot of people around here dye their hair much, but the culture has been evolving over the years, I guess. So when it happens, people don't really feel a need to bring it up, I guess?" she shrugged, deciding that her explanation was probably accurate.

Hiccup smiled and nodded at that. "Yeah, she does have a point. I mean, I dunno if you've encountered it much yet, but most of the adults in town have some pretty thick accents. But that seems like it's dying off with our generation. I don't think I've met a single person our age who talks like that."

"Hahaha, yeah, I've encountered some accents." Jack replied through laughs. "Oh man you guys don't even know how much I wanted to laugh during my last class. Like seriously, I didn't even know Scottish accents could get that thick! And I thought my dad's accent was something."

"Your dad has an accent?" Hiccup asked.

Jack smiled. "Russian."

"That's exotic." Fishlegs stated with heavy intrigue. "So are you Russian then? You don't really look Russian."

Jack shook his head. "Nah, me and my sister are adopted."

"Ah, well that would explain that."

The conversation persisted from there, jumping off of the personal information wagon and moving over to more average topics of discussion, such as school functions, complaints about classes, etcetera. Hiccup could tell that Astrid probably wanted to talk to him about something, whether that something be the showcase or whatever it was that had been bothering Hiccup since Tuesday, but she opted not to say anything in light of their current company. Likewise, Hiccup refrained from bringing up the dog show Astrid had apparently entered, in spite of his actual interest in asking about it.

Fishlegs was currently in the middle of regaling them with something or other he had read in one of his botany books, but as if drawn by some unseen force to ruin a good time, Hiccup could see Snotlout and the twins approaching from a few tables over, their expressions mildly curious.

"Oh boy, incoming…" Hiccup muttered, causing Fishlegs to stop talking and look behind him just as the trio approached.

"So!" Snotlout spoke up as he neared, placing his hands on his hips as he looked Jack up and down. "Who's the new kid, Hiccup?"

Jack's brow immediately wrinkled, not liking the tone of this guy's voice.

Hiccup maintained a rather blasé expression. "You could just ask him yourself, Snotlout, he's right there."

"What's with your hair?" Tuffnut spoke up suddenly, his eyes narrowing in scrutinization at it. "I've never seen somebody with hair like that."

"I guess it's more interesting than they gave it credit for, then." Jack responded observationally.

"Well, of course it is, it's really weird. How does that even happen?" Tuffnut asked, seeming confused.

Over on the other end of the table, Ruffnut had apparently not been paying attention to her brother and her friend, holding some kind of separate conversation with Astrid, until she suddenly sighed and cut in. "Ugh, you're such an idiot," she admonished mildly. "It's _dyed_, Tuffnut."

"Oh." Tuffnut responded, before immediately glaring at his sister. "Yeah well I could have figured that out!"

"But were you going to?" Astrid asked blandly, exchanging a glance with Ruff.

"Maybe!"

"Okay, guys, shut up, come on." Snotlout patted Tuff's back absently. "Now come on, who is this guy?"

Jack grunted. "Hiccup just said you could just ask me, dude. And it's Jack."

Snotlout turned his attention more fully on the teen now, his expression indicating his less-than-pleased status at the apparent show of disrespect. "Yeah, well, I didn't _ask_ you, I asked them."

"So what?"

"So that means I didn't want to hear from you, new guy." Snotlout's glare intensified as he leaned closer, making to get into the smaller teen's face.

"Well that's a little too bad, because you're hearing from me now." Jack didn't seem like he was intent on backing down, and he slowly began rising from his seat.

However, before the situation could escalate Hiccup immediately stood first, laying a hand on Snotlout's shoulder. "Hey, hey, come oooon, Snotlout," he started, nervous laughter in his voice. "You don't want to start some big scene in the middle of lunch, do you? I mean, ah, think, think of the game! Yeah, this Saturday, remember? Wouldn't want to get in some kind of trouble so close to game day and get suspended or something, right?"

Snotlout shrugged Hiccup's hand off and let out an angry sigh, as if to say 'Yeah, whatever.'

Out of the corner of his eye, Hiccup could see Astrid's fists clenched, shoulders tightened, ready to spring into action immediately. Ruffnut was looking between her and Snotlout, as though contemplating which side she'd choose if it came down to it.

Snotlout breathed out a shallow breath, standing straight again and closing his eyes in a careless fashion. "Well, guess I got my answer then. Alright Jack, since you're so set on sticking around here, let me just say," the boy turned away from the table, beginning to walk away. "Enjoy your social suicide! And also, watch your back." He mentioned that last part with noticeably more hardness in his tone.

Tuffnut still seemed to be rather enraptured in staring at Jack's hair, as if it held some deep mystery for him to unravel, but gave up when he noticed Snotlout leaving. He sighed and turned to follow him. Ruffnut muttered a "Later." to Astrid as she joined them.

"Jeez, what was that all about?" Jack asked, perplexed.

"That was Hiccup's cousin." Astrid answered, still glaring a bit. "He seems to make it a point to come around every couple days or so just to mess with Hiccup. Although I guess today you wound up in his crosshairs."

Jack raised an eyebrow at Hiccup. "Cousin?"

The brunette nodded, breathing out in exasperation. "Snorri "Snotlout" Jorgenson. His dad is my dad's brother, but they had a fight or something a long time ago, and now they kind of feud. I guess that feud carried over to his son."

"Yeah! Snotlout's dad even changed his last name!" Fishlegs added, apparently always finding that bit of information interesting.

"Oh, so you guys don't have the same last name?" Jack asked the green-eyed boy, who shook his head.

"Nah, mine's Haddock."

Jack stuck his lip off to the side, trying to remember where he had heard that name before, but shrugged it off. "So then who're the twins?"

"Ruffnut and Tuffnut." Astrid told him. "And those are their actual names, by the way, not nicknames. Their parents are something else."

Jack laughed at that. "Which is which?"

"Tuff's the boy, Ruff's the girl."

"So are you and Ruffnut friends then?" Jack asked. "She didn't really seem to be a part of that whole thing."

Astrid shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. She's alright to talk to, and seems to like me just fine. But I don't know that I'd really call her a friend. Not so long as she hangs out with Snotlout, at least."

"I think she only does it because Tuffnut does." Fishlegs shrugged.

"That's kind of a dumb reason if so."

"I don't know about that." Jack interjected, looking thoughtful. "Family ties can be pretty strong. Especially between siblings, you know?" Astrid sent him an intrigued look, and he immediately decided to change the subject. "Anyway, so, uh, 'social suicide'?" he asked.

"Oh, don't worry about that." Fishlegs waved a hand dismissively, chuckling. "I mean hey, Astrid and I hang out with Hiccup all the time and we still have… decent, social lives. So it's not total social suicide!"

Hiccup's lips flat lined as he gave Fishlegs an unamused look. "Thank you, Fishlegs, for that charming observation."

Jack was giggling. "So you're the unpopular guy, huh? I guess I could have figured…" His expression gave away the teasing nature of his words, and Hiccup smirked half-heartedly.

Astrid's eyes seemed to soften further, at this point, and she gave Hiccup a soft punch to the shoulder. "Hey so, we're still on for Saturday, right?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yep. I mean, I kind of _have_ to be there, so that's mostly dependent on you showing up."

"Don't worry, I'll be there." she assured.

At Jack's confused expression, Hiccup stammered a couple times and waved his hands before extrapolating. "Don't get any ideas; we're not going on a date or anything."

The teen across from him smirked. "How do you know that's what I was thinking?"

"I could see it on your face." Hiccup answered soundly. "Anyway, I'm on the film crew for the football game this Saturday. Our film production class does a biweekly news report on the school's monitors, and covering sports events is one of the things we do. Astrid's just going to be keeping me company in the stands while I film, since I kind of hate those things."

"Oooooh." Jack replied with dawning understanding. "That's really cool! My old schools never did anything like that. Think I'll get to do that kind of stuff?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Well, if you're interested, you could always just tell our teacher. He's always looking for volunteers for events."

"Oh, wait," Fishlegs leaned in, connecting the dots. "Is he in your film class, Hiccup?"

"Yeah, I saw it on his schedule this morning when I was showing him around."

"Hey, that's cool." Fishlegs smiled warmly. "Now you have someone to share an extracurricular with! Wish I had someone like that…"

Hiccup chuckled. "Hey, buck up, me and Astrid said we'd take Home Ec with you after the break, didn't we?"

Fishlegs nodded at that. "Yep, and I can't wait!"

"Jack, do you know about the elective shift?" Astrid asked the boy.

"Uuuuuuuhhh…"

"I'll take that as a no," she smirked, entertained by the reaction. "Basically, after the winter break, students can shift one of their electives to another class, if it's available."

"Yep." Hiccup affirmed. "The school doesn't like to divert much after-school attention to non-sports-related extracurriculars, so the elective shift is kind of the faculty's lazy method of making sure students get to take multiple different elective courses without wasting school money on said after-school programs."

"Huh. Well, it's still pretty neat." Jack mused. "Different than what I'm used to. But cool. So, you guys are all gonna switch to Home Ec?"

Astrid nodded. "Fifth period is universally an elective period for all students, so that's the one that gets shifted, if you choose to do it."

"Wish I'd known that earlier." Jack mumbled, considering the notion of switching out of film production later. "When is the break?"

"Next month." The brunette replied. "About a week before Christmas."

Jack snapped his fingers. If he decided to switch out, that meant he didn't have very long to enjoy film production. "Ah well, I'll think about all that when the time comes." he said, mostly to himself.

Fishlegs chose to pick the conversation back up at that point, returning to his previously interrupted topic. All the while, Hiccup surreptitiously watched Jack with curiosity. He hadn't even had his first experience with film production class yet. Was he already entertaining the idea of following them on the elective shift, just to be with them? The notion left Hiccup feeling mildly mystified, and when Jack happened to glance over at him and met his stare, Hiccup looked away quickly, feeling that odd notion returning to him again.

Something must have really been wrong with him today.

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* * *

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"So how was film with Jack?"

Hiccup and Astrid made their way down the front steps of the school building, mixing themselves in with the throng of departing students at the completion of yet another school day.

"It was alright, not really that different than usual. He introduced himself to the class, Mr. Mulch filled him in on upcoming events, let him know he could participate if he wanted. He seemed pretty enthusiastic about it. But after that it was pretty much business as usual, other than me helping him out with some of the equipment he was unfamiliar with."

"Uh-huh." Astrid replied, far too slowly for Hiccup's liking. Her tone seemed to imply that she wasn't saying something.

"'Uh-huh'? Something you'd care to share, Astrid?"

"Not really. Anyway, I'm glad we can talk finally. I've been wondering how you're doing." she changed the subject quickly. "And also, about why I wasn't around this morning-"

"Hey, Hiccup!"

The two both turned to face the calling voice, seeing Jack making his way down the steps, jogging up to them. "Hey Astrid." he greeted, receiving a quick smile in return. "Uhm, so, hope I'm not interrupting or anything, but, I was actually wondering, Hiccup. Do you think you could maybe show me around town, too? You know, show me the places of interest and whatnot? I think it'd probably be better than just wandering around blindly." he explained, almost timidly, which seemed rather off for him based on the personality he'd displayed all day today. It reminded Hiccup of how he had reacted to the lunch invitation earlier that morning.

"Ah…" Hiccup glanced at Astrid questioningly.

Hiccup was positive that she quickly glanced between the two of them, but the motion had been so rapid that he doubted it'd do any good to try and call her on it. She then gave him a soft smile. "Actually Hiccup, I do need to be getting home, anyway. Kinda forgot, I've got some stuff I need to do, plus there's that thing with Stormfly I need to handle. I'll talk to you later, alright?"

And without waiting for his affirmation, she turned and jogged off, waving over her shoulder at the two. Hiccup found her behavior incredibly suspicious as he stared after her, biting down on his lip softly and squinting, trying to guess at what Astrid's game was.

He felt a buzz in his pocket, and immediately pulled his phone out, seeing he had a text waiting for him.

'I'll just call you later. Have fun. :)'

More suspicious by the minute. He grumbled lowly to himself and tucked the phone away, turning to see Jack giving him a curious look. Sighing, he allowed himself a small smile. "Alright, well, guess I'm showing you around then, Jack."

This caused the white-haired boy to grin widely, his frosty blues seeming to light up. "Awesome!"

Hiccup released a couple small laughs, charmed at the boy's enthusiasm. "So, what kind of place would you like to see first?" he asked with amused curiosity.

Jack seemed to ponder that question for a long moment, curling a finger under his chin dramatically and smirking again in that roguish fashion that always made Hiccup suspect he had something up his sleeve. "I'm kind of hungry. Where can I get something to eat?"

Hiccup returned with a bemused look. "Didn't we just have lunch a couple hours ago?"

"Yeah, but Hiccup, come on. That food was awful."

Hiccup conceded that point. "Yeeeeah, I guess it is pretty awful. Well, alright then." Hiccup then turned, feeling a bit theatrical as he waved his arm at the streets that lay before them. "Follow me, my ward, and I shall leadeth thou to the finest dining thine eyes hath ever beheld!"

Jack chortled behind him as Hiccup led him toward Gobber's.

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**And that was that. I feel like this one was more boring? But ah well, story's gotta move. Anyway, as usual, reviews are appreciated.**

**Also, I have a tumblr. No, I am not trying to whore it out for attention. I just figure that I'd mention that you can guys can send me asks, anonymous or no, if you have any questions about the story just far. Always happy to answer them, plus it's probably more convenient for the people that don't have accounts on here and just read.**

**Anyway, the url is: thatendyperson**

**Followed of course by the usual dot tumblr dot com business. Again, thanks for reading, guys.**


	3. Detailing

**Hey guys, back again with another chapter. I think I like this one better than the last, so that's always nice.**

**Once again, thanks for the reviews, they make me glow in the dark.**

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**Chapter 3**

**Detailing**

**.**

"Man, come oooon, I'm _starving_. How much longer is it gonna be?"

Though the white-haired youth behind him wouldn't see it, due to his current position of trailing the brunette, Hiccup's lips pulled up at the edges, his eyes glowing with the evidence of how entertained he was with Jack's whining.

"Your appetite can wait a bit, can't it?" he asked, almost condescendingly, though leaving enough light spirits in the sentiment to assure otherwise. "Come on, have a little appreciation for me here. I'm going all out of my way, just to show you the scenic route, here," Hiccup's usual habit of making varying gestures with his hands, several of them broad, returned to him as he spoke. "And you have the _audacity _ to insult my magnanimous benevolence by asking me _if we're there yet_?" The boy was barely holding back laughter when he glanced over his shoulder at his charge, seeing the dead look the other teen gave him.

"I thought you said you were just taking me to get good food, not go on some scenic route." He shot back, though his own tone of voice betrayed the humor he was presently in, and Hiccup could tell he was resisting a smile.

"Yes, well, I thought you asked me to take time out of my busy day to show your sorry self around town so that you don't get hopelessly lost. So there we are." Hiccup supplied cheekily, finally letting his smirk show full force.

Jack's eyes narrowed but he smiled all the same. "You're evil."

"Nah, just coercive."

The two teens shared in a laugh then, Jack picking up his pace so that he was walking more steadily beside Hiccup as opposed to behind him. "Alright then, my _magnanimous guide_," he said as he nudged himself against Hiccup's shoulder a bit, knocking him off-balance just slightly and chortling at Hiccup's surprised expression. "Where does this scenic route of yours take us?"

Hiccup coughed to brush off the surprise that had come with the unexpected contact, suddenly quite aware of the small space between their shoulders as they walked. "Well, you obviously already saw the park this morning." he explained, ignoring the weirdness his head kept insisting he should feel. "So I figured I'd take you through the shopping plaza. It's just about the only social hub in town where you'll find anyone our age hanging around, other than the school of course. Most of the other social areas are pretty much exclusive to the adults, barring a few exceptions."

"Shopping plaza, huh? Sounds fun." Blue eyes looked ahead, squinting curiously between the various homes and small establishments that lined the sidewalk. "I see a lot of small shops here and there. What sets the plaza apart from those?"

"Well aside from the fact that most of the areas in the plaza aren't family-owned," Hiccup told him, rolling his eyes as if it were obvious. "There's also a lot of bigger establishments. As close to a mall as it gets, basically. Trust me, all the places you've seen? I doubt you'll actually be that impressed."

"Hey, hey, don't get pessimistic now." Jack reassured him with that cocky grin of his. "Just because I've seen a lot of places doesn't make one place any more or less special than another, right? Everything has its charm."

Hiccup almost guffawed, but settled for a single laugh under his breath. Please. Berk could be alright, sure, and it wasn't as though Hiccup hated the place. But compared to probably anywhere else Jack had been to? The town probably had about as much charm as a weeks-starved crocodile, complimented with a sense of style and taste that was akin to day-old water, left sitting out in the sun.

"Prepare to be wowed." Hiccup forewarned with a tone of voice that just _dripped_ with sarcasm as he hung a right at an intersection, Jack following his example and looking ahead to see a fairly large square unfolding before them, with a noticeably larger amount of surface area than any of the other roads he'd strolled down thus far. The place seemed to be kept in fairly good shape, with clean-looking brick making up the composition for most of the establishments that were packed side by side by side along the perimeter of the square, and the previously quiet streets had given way to a moderately bustling locale. True to Hiccup's earlier assertion, many of the people wandering about seemed to be from their school.

"Dude, whoa." Jack was smiling appreciatively at the sight, surprised at how large the plaza was, noting the number of buildings and shops that occupied its expanse and realizing that he couldn't count them just at a glance. "I'll have you know, Hiccup, that I am actually kinda wowed by this."

This legitimately surprised the brunette. "What? Come on, this is nothing compared to like, shopping malls, or-"

"No, it's better." Jack cut him off, smirking at him. "I've always thought malls were stuffy, and they're too crowded all the time. But this? The whole outdoor, open-air feel of this place is nice, and everything that's here is arranged in a big circle and it's pretty neat, dude. Oh, and it looks like I can actually walk without crashing into people."

Hiccup honestly wasn't sure how to react to that. Sure, he made good points – Hiccup _did_ hate crowds, really, though he'd never stopped to consider that particularly perk of this place. But really, how was Jack legitimately impressed by this? Maybe it was a matter of novelty. This was probably just something he wasn't used to, so he thought it was cool. He'd get sick of it, eventually.

Still, so long as he was apparently all gung-ho about it, he might as well get to see some of Hiccup's favorite places. "Well, if you say so. Right this way, then, milady." the brunette joked, gesturing that Jack follow him again. "I'll show you some of the places of interest."

Jack nestled his hands in the single front pocket of his blue hoodie as he followed, apparently eager to see what was here. As the two finally made their way into the square and the various buildings became more distinguishable, he immediately noted the first place Hiccup seemed to be stopping them at. "Is this a candy shop?" he asked, eyes lighting up just a bit.

Hiccup chuckled. "Yeaaah. I don't mind sweets or anything, they're good and all, but I've never really been one of those people who's really big on them. But I thought you might like it." The expression on the white-haired male's face as he stared almost ravenously in at the morsels on display through the glass told Hiccup that yes, he did indeed like it. "But we're not here to spoil your appetite, Jack. I'm just showing it to you." he added, feeling almost a little sadistic when he wanted to laugh at the boy's whines of protests.

"Maaaaaaan, come on, just a bite?"

"Nope. Come on, we've got ground to cover."

Jack glared half-heartedly. Oh, that guy was enjoying this way too much. Begrudgingly, he followed after Hiccup as he set off for their next destination, weaving their way through the other students that were browsing about the area. Lucky guns, they were. They didn't have a cruel twig boy telling them they couldn't eat some delicious-looking chocolate. I mean come on, what was _one bite_ gonna hurt, Hiccup!?

"Would you stop pouting and get over here?" Hiccup asked amusedly.

Jack realized he must have been brooding too much, and snapped his gaze up as he jogged to catch up, cheeks reddening a bit. Looking up at the new location, he raised an eyebrow. "Computer Supply?"

"Well, you mentioned having one – I mean come on, who doesn't – so I thought you might like to know where pretty much the one place in town for your tech needs was located. They've got computers, laptops, hard drives, etcetera."

"Huh. Well, good to know." Jack logged that information away. It _was_ always good to know where to go for computer supplies.

"And over there," Hiccup stated as he started walking again, simply pointing at places now. "Is a pet store, where you can also get food and stuff like that, there's a commercial café right over there, but I dunno how it's even still in business with how dedicated the people here are to the family-run coffee places in Town. Oh, and there's a book store," Hiccup pointed to a quaint-looking building across the way. "Nice, quiet place to study. Plus it has a pretty good selection, if you read a lot."

Jack nodded along, finding it neat that all of these locations were in the same general area, but not particularly grabbed by anything just yet. Then he blinked. "Whoa, is that an arcade?"

Hiccup laughed a bit. "Yeah, Jack, we have one of those. But this is just a tour, I don't think we have time to go in and play-"

"Come oooon, Hiccup." Jack pleaded, raising a couple eyebrows as if he thought that'd help his chances.

But Hiccup was holding fast to his guns, though his humored expression never quit. "Jack, I do need to get home later, and I don't think we have time to duck into the arcade to play for a bit if I'm going to finish showing you around."

Jack threw his hands up dramatically, lamenting his existence. "Are you really this boring? How are you this boring? Hiccup, now listen closely, because this is important: I am pretty sure I'm gonna _die_ if we don't go into that arcade right now."

The small-framed Viking seemed to once again be having trouble keeping his laughs under control as they bubbled up against his will, eyes crinkling at the edges in spite of how obviously he attempted to hide it. Jack smiled, thinking he had won.

"I'll take my chances." Hiccup's response, however, immediately caused him to squint at the boy and level him with a cold stare.

"…You win this round, Hic."

The boy blinked. "…Hic?"

Jack also blinked, as though just noticing he had said what he had. "Huh. Yeah. Hic."

The two shared a moment of silence, unconscious of the students who gave them odd looks as they passed ("Why are those guys just staring at each other?" "Pft, it's Hiccup, come on. Weirdo." "Haha, yeah.").

Hiccup shrugged. "Alright then."

Jack smiled in victory.

Hiccup then resumed the tour as though there had been no interruption, pointing out a few more locations of interest as they circled the square, doing his level best to ignore the odd, butterfly-like feeling that accompanied that nickname that Jack had called him by. Honestly, it was the first nickname he could ever remember having received, other than the name 'Hiccup' itself. How strange that he would be feeling so odd about it. Then again, he supposed, if you go your whole life being called one thing and never another, hearing something new for the first time was probably a little jarring? In any case, he certainly didn't mind the name. It seemed a little endearing, the way Jack had said it.

"And this here," he went on, shaking his head of his thoughts. "Is our movie theater. Thankfully, it manages to stay pretty current with what films are hitting the theaters nationwide, so, you won't be seeing stuff that was out years ago or anything like that." he jested, gesturing to the various posters that hung outside the large building.

Jack gazed up at it, impressed by the fact that it was easily the largest establishment in the square, and befuddled with himself that he had managed not to notice it when he had first started walking around. He blamed Hiccup and his insistently methodical style of tour. "Well, good." he answered, smiling. "I'm sure I made it pretty clear earlier that I do love movies."

"Yes, well, we can agree on that."

"Maybe we should catch a flick some time." The words escaped the boy's mouth before he realized what he was saying, and he glanced to the side with his cheeks diffused a mild shade of pink to see his companion blinking at him. Jack was incredibly conscious of how that statement could have been taken. He immediately laughed, as if he'd just told some funny joke, and added quickly. "We could get Astrid and Fishlegs too, you know? You guys all seem pretty cool, so why not?"

Hiccup chuckled nervously, nodding. "Yeah, yeah, Astrid and Fishlegs. Fishlegs, uh, he really, you know, loves movies too, so, yes, he'd be a great, uh, great guy to… invite along…" Hiccup trailed off, looking away and pretending to scan over the posters to see what was playing. As if he didn't already know.

Jack nodded, eyes wandering in much the same manner as Hiccup's as the two went silent for a moment. Just what the hell was that? Whatever it was, it was weird. Very weird. And vaguely uncomfortable. And all kinds of odd feelings Hiccup didn't know how to identify. He was probably just overthinking this. This Jack character had been making him feel weird all day, and Hiccup was beginning to suspect that it was probably because he wasn't used to, well, _anyone_ being as friendly to him as quickly as Jack was being. Hell, that took a long time to build up even with Astrid and Fishlegs, and they were his best friends.

Well, time to snap out of it. "A-anyway." Hiccup cursed himself for stuttering. "My favorite place is just over here."

"Ah?" this seemed to perk Jack up out of whatever discomfort he'd been in (discomfort that Hiccup was certain he'd caused), and he stepped up beside the brunette again, looking around. "Lemme see if I can pick it out from here before you show it to me." he stated, somewhat challengingly, as he began to scan the remaining, unvisited establishments. Hm, nah, definitely not the sporting goods place, Hiccup didn't seem very sporty. And he was at least 90% certain that Hiccup probably wasn't into the women's clothing store. Probably. Then there were a few restaurants… Oh! That must have been it! Hiccup must have been planning on taking him to one of those places to eat, finally. "Is iiiiiiiiiit… 'The Great Hall'?" he asked, hopefully, as an enticing aroma hit him.

Hiccup laughed. "Nah, but that's a great place to go if you're feeling up to throwing half a paycheck down the drain. It's basically the fanciest restaurant in town, very 'Special Occasion Only', if you know what I mean."

Jack's face fell. "Oh. Well, then, is it-"

"None of the food places, Jack."

Jack gave him a sidelong glance. "I hate you."

This only succeeded in making Hiccup smirk.

Jack sighed and looked around again, until his eyes settled on a place he hadn't noticed before. "'The Blank Canvas'?"

Hiccup gave the boy a nod at that, seeming rather fond of the place just from hearing its name. "It's an art supply store, but it's also kind of a general hobby shop. They sell things like models, molds, wood, metals, puzzles, nuts, bolts, ceramic figures, foam, all kinds of things, really. In addition, of course, to things like paper, canvas, paint, what have you."

Jack gave Hiccup a knowing look, sizing him up with a playful grin. "Oooooh, I get it now. Spending all that time with Zabek, being into film; you're one of those artsy-fartsy types, aren't you?"

The brunette returned with an unimpressed look, as if resisting an eye roll. "Sure, let's go with that."

The other boy laughed, tapping his companion's shoulder with the back of his hand. "Relax, do you really think I'm making fun of you? Art's pretty cool, actually, though I dunno if I ever had the talent for it. I'm one of those types who can imagine a picture in his head really clearly, but just can't seem to make my fingers do what I want 'em to." he explained with a somewhat sheepish smile. "But I actually really admire people who can."

Now it was Hiccup's turn to look sheepish, turning away and offering a nervous laugh. "Well, I mean, I don't think anyone ever gets to the point where they can do that, I mean it's always gonna have a flaw…"

"Are you a good artist, Hiccup?"

The question was pretty sudden, but the brunette attempted to shrug it off. "I don't know. Kind of, I guess."

"I feel like by 'kind of' you actually mean to say 'yes Jack, I'm absolutely amazing at it'."

"And what exactly makes you so sure of that?"

"Because you seem like the type to be really dishonest about what you're good at." Jack stated observationally, as though it were the simplest thing in the world for him to notice. Hiccup redirected his gaze at the boy, a look of genuine surprise decorating his features, but Jack wasn't even looking at him now, and was instead staring into the Hobby shop in a carefree manner. "What about that other stuff? You said they had models and other building supplies? Do you ever do any of that?"

Hiccup rubbed the back of his head mildly, eyes roaming the sidewalk. "Yeah, a little. I kinda like to, I don't know, mess around with little contraptions and whatnot, nothing really special. Just dumb things I work on in my spare time, really."

"And I'm pretty sure you're underselling yourself again." The pale teen turned his attention firmly back upon Hiccup, arresting him in a shockingly earnest look. Hiccup was taken aback, slightly. He hadn't seen Jack completely drop any hints of a teasing expression all day long, so the sincerity on his face now shook him a bit. "Hiccup, really, I think it's cool. You don't have to be embarrassed or anything, come on."

And as quickly as it happened, it was over, Jack's serious air disappearing as he once again exuded all manner of carelessness that Hiccup had begun to associate him with. "Right, uh. Thanks, Jack…" He honestly didn't know what else to say. It was an incredibly awkward situation, as far as he felt. The only people who ever outright ignored his protests and complimented his work in such a sincere fashion were his friends and Anna, and each of them had actually _seen_ his work. Not to mention having known him for longer than a single day. Hiccup found he felt a little uncomfortable with how easily Jack seemed to see through him.

"Anyway, are we done here? Because I'm still starving, and you've made it clear that you're not taking me to any of the restaurants here, so wherever we're going had better be damn good." Jack added, his devilish smirk back again in an open challenge for Hiccup to fire back a sharp retort.

Hiccup was never one to refuse a challenge like that, so he pushed his discomforts aside and met the boy's leer with one of his own. "Oh? And at what point did I become _obligated_ to cater to your whims, princess?"

"You really seem to like calling me a girl, don't you? I'm sure psychologists could run for miles with that."

Damn it Jack, stop being so good at this. "Whatever, Snow Queen, now let's go and get that delicate appetite of yours handled."

Jack chuckled and shook his head, a 'You see what I mean?' sort of expression on his face as he followed his guide wordlessly. For maybe ten or fifteen seconds. "So, Hiccup." he began as they made to leave the vast square. Hiccup already knew some kind of personal question must have been on the way. "Why don't you tell me more? Like what all do you do, art-wise? Draw? Paint? Build?"

See? Psh, and Hiccup thought Jack could read _him_, haha. Well, Mister Overland, Hiccup wasn't the only apparently-transparent one here! "I like to draw and paint, mostly." He decided he'd answer honestly. After all, if Jack was going to keep wheedling the truth out of him, he might as well stop fighting him over it. "Models are pretty fun, but sculpting in general isn't really for me. As for building, well, it's more what I'd call a hobby. I'm not so sure I'll ever go anywhere with it, but I've put together a few things in my garage."

"What kind of things?" Jack asked, interested.

Hiccup waved a hand. "Nothing really impressive – hey, don't give me that look, I mean it! – just a few attempts at 'inventions', I guess. I don't know that they can really be called as such though. Inventions typically fill a need and are supposed to work."

"Aww, come on, Hic, tell me one thing you've built."

There was that nickname and that odd, fluttery sensation again. Hiccup coughed. "Well I tried making an automatic feeder for my cat once. It worked alright, until a major design flaw caused it to start spewing food everywhere once it got half empty."

Jack, to his credit, only chuckled quietly. "Well shouldn't you have been able to fix it?"

"Ehhh. I kind of gave up on it, honestly. It's sitting somewhere in the back of the garage right now, I think."

This seemed to cause a disgruntled look to appear on the other boy's face. He shrugged. "So do you take art class, then?"

"Yeah, with Anna. Fourth period for me."

"Which one?"

"What do you mean which one?"

"Like, which level? Art 1, 2? 3, maybe?"

"Oh." They had exited back out onto the sidewalk by now, and Hiccup was glancing up at the sky. "Why does that matter?"

"Hiccup." Jack's tone was mildly warning. "You know I'm gonna annoy you until I find out."

"Oi… I'm with the Art 3 students."

"'With' them? That's an odd way of putting it."

"Well, I don't exactly _take_ Art 3. I am just in the same classroom as them."

"And why is that?" Jack's expression indicated that he might have been connecting the dots already, but true to his claims, Hiccup was nearly positive that he wouldn't quit until Hiccup answered the question himself.

"Because I'm in an advanced unit but the school doesn't have a class for it, so I just get put in the same classroom with the Art 3 students, but do my own separate work." For some reason, Hiccup found that these needling questions were beginning to get him a little hot under the collar, and Jack's apparent belief that was so _right_ about everything was getting somewhat irritating.

To his surprise, though, Jack actually hopped off the ground a bit as he let out a slightly jubilant sound. "Haha! See? I knew it! You _are_ awesome at art, aren't you? I mean come on, an advanced class that the school doesn't even have on course?"

"Yeah, well, it's not as special as it sounds! Our school just doesn't care much about the arts and any similarly-veined classes, and most of the students don't care to take art for as long as I did anyway. If we were in any normal school I'd probably just be a regular Art 4 class or something…"

"Aaand there you go underselling yourself again." Jack taunted.

"How would you even know!?" Hiccup shot back, his voice actually rising as some legitimate frustration was now present. After all, why shouldn't he be frustrated? Jack didn't even know him yet! Where did he get off acting like he could read him like an open book? "You haven't even seen my work, Jack, and I doubt you really know what good art actually is, so really, how are you taking it upon yourself to evaluate me?"

When flustered green irises made contact with wide, surprised sapphires, the brunette found himself a tad satisfied that he had apparently made his point and silenced Jack's incessantly knowing attitude. That is, until the other boy looked away, eyelids drooping and all traces of a smile gone. "Right, yeah. You're right. Sorry."

Oh for the love of- of course! The strange new kid strikes a nerve and causes the angry snap, and yet _Hiccup _ winds up the bad guy. Hiccup knit his brows together and stared at the ground, suddenly conscious that the two of them had stopped walking. But he shouldn't be feeling any sense of incredulity. Of course he should be the bad guy in this situation. What did it matter that Jack was making _positive_ assumptions about him? He didn't deserve to be yelled at out of nowhere. He was just trying to be friendly. And now Hiccup was thoroughly convinced that for the second time that week, he had been an undue ass to a friend.

He heaved a sigh. "Jack, I'm sor-"

"Don't worry about it. I shouldn't have been sayin-"

"No, you don't worry, I'm the one who shouldn't be-"

"Hiccup, it's fine, really, it was my-"

"No, it's not fine, _really_, and I was the one who-"

"You? I was the one who decided to just go and ask you-"

"Jack would you shut up!" Hiccup finally stomped a bit, raising his voice, though there was no anger there this time. Just frazzled nerves, if anything.

Jack blinked. "Shutting up."

"Good." Hiccup replied, giving him a weak smile. "Now I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped at you over something so stupid. Alright?"

"Fine, but I'm still sorry for getting more personal than I should have." The teen replied with an impish smirk. "And that's the end of it, got it?"

Hiccup felt like wiping his hand across his face, but settled on exhaling. "Fine. So we're both sorry."

Jack nodded. "Yep! Now, I'll just try and make a note not to ask any more personal questions, haha."

"No, you, you don't have to-" The brunette cut himself off, stuffing his hands in his jacket pockets and screwing his lips up in thought. "Look, I can tell you're just being friendly and all, and… I dunno, it's just different."

"Different how?"

Hiccup kicked restlessly at the pavement beneath them. "Different as in I'm not used to people being so friendly right after meeting me." Boy, did that sound pathetic. Seriously, he might as well have been wearing a big sign that said 'Loser' on it around his neck.

"Well, I think that sucks." Jack responded simply, trying to add more sincerity to his smile. "There's nothing wrong with you, Hiccup. I think you're cool. So I'm going to be friendly, if you don't have a problem with that."

Hiccup found himself chuckling a little as he began walking again, not needing to look up to know Jack was keeping step. "Yeah, sure. Fine by me." Yup. Sure. Fine. He guessed.

"Good. Now let's can this sap fest and get some food already, Hic, I'm dying here."

The tense air that had been present only briefly seemed to clear at the comment, and Hiccup laughed more openly this time as he attempted to get back into his usual sorts. "Right, right. Just hold your horses, will you? We're almost there."

Jack, of course, didn't stop complaining for the remainder of the trip about how his stomach was eating him.

.

* * *

.

It didn't take a genius to know that the look on Jack's face, having appeared there as he surveyed the old, homely-looking establishment before them, was one that said 'I am not impressed'.

"Hiccup, is this a tavern?"

Hiccup smiled and shrugged. "Sometimes."

Jack gave him an odd look. "So, I'm not even eighteen yet, are we allowed to…?"

The brunette rolled his eyes at the other boy. "We're not here to drink, Jack."

"Oh. I mean, yeah, good. But if it's a tavern-"

"_Sometimes_ it's a tavern, Jack. Right now it's a restaurant."

Jack appeared to be just a bit vexed by the statement. "It changes?"

"Depending on the time of day, yeah. Also the owner's mood, but that's not as often."

"And, despite all the restaurants in the plaza, this is where you're taking me to get food?"

"Trust me, Jack, it'll be worth it."

The boy didn't seem entirely convinced as he gave the rustic-looking joint another once over, but he nodded all the same, following Hiccup through the front doors.

As the two entered, they were greeted by a rather cheery, accent-heavy voice. "Heccup! Well isn't this a nice surprise. Ye don't often come about here outside o' mornin' hours."

Jack looked to the owner of the voice, a large fellow with a braided, blonde mustache and an interesting prosthetic worn on his left hand. Recognition dawned immediately, and he recalled why the name 'Gobber', which had been displayed on the sign outside, seemed familiar. "Hey, you're, uh, you're that guy, right? You helped us move last night."

Gobber, having apparently just noticed that Hiccup had arrived with company, raised his eyebrows in immediate intrigue before offering a somewhat jolly grin to the boy. "Aye, that's right. Almost didn't recognize ye without the li'l girl clingin' to your arm." he joked, before glancing at Hiccup, jerking his head at Jack as if to ask 'Friend of yours?'

Hiccup nodded, a bit caught off guard that the two seemed to have met already. "Uh, I'm showing him around town, brought him in for a bite to eat. Jack, you didn't tell me you'd met Gobber," Hiccup stated, turning his attention back to the white-haired boy.

"Well, we didn't actually meet, really, I just kinda saw him last night talking to my dad."

"Can't fault the boy for that, Heccup. Any'ow, you picked a good time to come in for a bite, I'm about twenty minutes from leavin' the place in Phlegma's hands for a spell. Work down at the wharf, you know'ow it is."

Hiccup nodded, smiling as he took one of the seats at the bar, patting the one beside him to signal Jack to sit. Jack still seemed a tad dubious about the atmosphere of the place, but did as he was bidden. "You have a second job?" he asked, curiously.

Hiccup chose to answer in lieu of the man, however, making the odd gesture with his hands now and then as he spoke. "Gobber kind of does a bunch of things. He runs this place, but he's also in charge of supervising the wharf and all the activity that goes on down there. Keeps him pretty busy."

The haggard man laughed good-naturedly as he went about filling a couple of glasses with water, setting them on the counter for the boys. "And don't forget playin' advisor to your father, Heccup, tha's a full-time job in itself!"

Jack quirked an eyebrow up as he sipped at the cool drink, eyeing Hiccup with something akin to disbelief. "Advising your dad?"

Hiccup laughed a little nervously. "Ah, yes, right, well. You seeeeee, thing is. My dad is, you know, the mayor…"

Jack almost spat his drink out. "Whoa whoa, what? The mayor? Your dad?"

Hiccup shrugged and smiled awkwardly at him. "Yeah?"

"Why was this not mentioned sooner?"

"Is it really that important?"

"Well, no, not exactly, but I mean. It's interesting! And you'd think that'd be one of the things to mention when getting to know someone."

Hiccup shrugged again, clearly a tad uncomfortable. "I just didn't think it mattered that much. Don't really see the point in mentioning it."

Gobber, for all his silence, seemed to be watching the boys with a great deal of amusement, chuckling at Hiccup's expense. "Ahh, Heccup's just a modest lad. Wouldn't want his father's position to affect someone's opinion of him. Not that it does for anyone else, anyhow." Gobber added, taking a jibe at Hiccup's not-so-secret social standing in the town.

Hiccup shot the man an unamused look, clearly intent on replying with something sharp, until he was cut off by the sound of empty mugs and plates clattering onto the counter, drawing his attention to the robust woman whom had just made her arrival known. "Ah, Hiccup. Isn't every day I see you here at this time. Who's your friend?"

Jack was almost astounded by the power and ferocity this woman seemed to radiate just with her presence alone, and she was leveling him with a look that spoke largely of how much she was scrutinizing and judging what she saw.

Hiccup laughed nervously on his behalf. "Phlegma, this is Jack. Jack, this is Phlegma "The Fierce". Jack just moved here last night, with his dad and sister." he explained.

"Ah, so you're the son of the new manager, are ye?"

Jack nodded, still seeming a tad intimidated. "Uh, yeah, yes ma'am." He nodded then, almost bowing.

She leaned over the counter at Gobber, smirking. "I like this one, he's got some manner."

"I wouldn't call it manners, so much as fear, ye mangy skoll." He then proceeded to duck away from the anticipated left hook.

The display, as well as the avid irritation on the woman's face, only seemed to make Jack more nervous. Hiccup, conscious of this, elected to speak up then. "Ahh, hey, Phlegma? Do you think you could bring Jack a meat pie? He was dying to try the best food in town."

This seemed to brighten the woman right up, ceasing in her attempts at whacking Gobber to instead give the two boys a bright smile. "Oh, did he now? Well, I'd be more'n'happy to oblige!" she then turned an irate scowl back upon Gobber. "I'm goin'a make a few pies. Mind the customers."

Gobber glared at her. "Oi, and just who do ye think is in charge, here!?"

She brandished her fist at him. "After the remark you made, _I _am right now, Gobber, or d'you want to contest that?"

The two had themselves a little stare down, with Hiccup already predicting the victor.

"Aye, ye know I'm no match for such a pretty face." Gobber replied sweetly, his glare dropping.

Phlegma merely 'Humphed!' and stormed away.

"Ah, that woman is goin't'be the death o' me, Heccup. Literally!"

The brunette boy rested his weight on his elbow, leaning into the counter. "She might spare you if you stop insulting her all the time."

"Ah, but where would be the fun in that?" Gobber asked with a wink. "Do me a favor and mind the counter for me, eh? I'll be back." And with that, he scooped up a tray loaded with various orders he had prepared and hobbled off to deliver them, seeing as how his waitress was apparently occupied.

Jack drummed his fingers against the bar. "So that was interesting."

"Yeah, you kinda get used to it after a while." the other boy offered, rolling his shoulders a bit. "I don't think those two can function without going at each other's throats."

Jack laughed, relaxing in his seat and looking around some more. "So a meat pie, huh? That's this amazing food you're gonna have me eat?"

"You won't have that attitude after you try it."

"Is that lady really that great of a cook?"

Hiccup stared at him very seriously. "Yes."

Jack nodded. "Oookay then." More silence. "So your dad's the mayor, huh?"

A near-groan escaped the other boy's lips as he slouched forward. "Why is that so interesting to you?"

"I dunno, it just is! I mean, if we still lived in the age of monarchy, you'd be like royalty, right?"

"I… guess? I don't think anyone has ever put it that way, but sure."

"Hahaha, come on, it's just cool for me. I've never known someone who was the kid of anybody political."

"Yeah, well, my dad isn't exactly all that political. Frankly, the term 'mayor' here isn't really the same thing as it might be elsewhere. He kind of thinks of himself as a chief, and the people here all act the same way. I mean, he does his best to help the town and all, but there's not much of an actual political process. Actually, he really kind of hates dealing with bureaucrats and the like, and I'm always kind of needed to help him put up the political charade every time some big official comes for a visit."

"It's a charade?"

"Ehhh, kind of. He wasn't actually elected in any kind of formal election. His father was the mayor of this town before him, and when he retired, my dad stepped up, and the people agreed with that decision, so we just made it happen. Kinda lied through our teeth about the paperwork to the state government, but no one in town would ever report us for that."

This actually caused Jack to laugh rather substantially. "So then it IS like royalty! It gets handed down from father to son, and the people just go along with that, and even lie to the government about elections? That's pretty awesome!"

Hiccup screwed up his eyes at the boy, mouth gaping slightly. "How is that awesome? It's backwards! Even if the victor would be obvious, what kind of town doesn't have formal elections?"

"A cool, rough, tough, Viking town, that's what." Jack replied with a childish grin.

Hiccup continued to stare for a moment before he shook his head. "I don't understand you."

"Yeah, whatever, I- Oh hey, I just realized why I recognized your last name. Your dad was with Gobber last night, helping us move our stuff into the new house. My dad told me his last name. I knew it was familiar…"

"My dad was there?" Hiccup asked with a raised eyebrow, curious. He hadn't noticed his dad leave the house at any late hour last night. But then, he was so out of it…

"Yeah. Didn't say hi to us, though, just my dad, so I just saw him while they were talking."

"Ah, I see."

Goodness, what was taking Gobber so long? Shouldn't he have been back by now? And Hiccup could swear it didn't take that long to make a few meat pies, right? He couldn't explain why, but being alone with Jack just made him feel awkward, nervous. Maybe he was still getting used to how overbearingly friendly the guy was being for just their first day of meeting? Nah, that couldn't be it, he'd been showing him around town earlier, after all, and only kind of lost his cool once. Curious.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Jack looking down at his sleeve, fingers worrying at a stray thread that was sticking out. It was probably the most quiet Hiccup had seen the boy all day, with his eyes fixed firmly on the strand of fabric, legs kicking restlessly in shoes that seemed a bit loose, now that Hiccup looked at them. He arrived at a conclusion then. Maybe he was feeling so uncomfortable because Jack kept asking all these questions about him, but Hiccup hadn't been asking much of Jack? Yeah, that was it! It was just unequal. Made Hiccup feel exposed.

"So, hey, Jack."

The teen glanced up. "Hm?"

"What, uh, are you into doing? Like I mean you asked me about my hobbies and stuff earlier, so what do you do? I know already you like movies, apparently. And mythology."

Jack released that low, rumbly chuckle of his at that, a sound Hiccup found himself oddly drawn to. "Ahh, well, I'm not honestly all that interesting. I like to spend a pretty good amount of time outdoors, you know, play around in the snow when it's there." he offered, a bit of childishness seeping into his words as he scratched his cheek.

Hiccup giggl- no! chuckled. Manly chuckled. Hiccup _chuckled_ back. "Well, you chose a good place for it. It's cold here pretty much year round, and when the snow arrives, it holds on for a while."

A quick fist pump indicated Jack's satisfaction with that news. "Great, awesome. I love snow."

"I'm sure you do, Snowpeak."

An eyebrow was raised. "Snowpeak?"

"Because your hair is white."

"Ah, of course."

"_Anyway_, what else do you do? What would you do with your friends in other places you've lived?" His shoulders twitched. Hiccup narrowed his eyes at that. That was the second time today that that had happened, he recalled. And both times had been in response to a question about his past. Hiccup certainly wasn't stupid. "You… don't have to answer that, if you don't want to." He added quickly.

"Nah, nah, it's cool." Jack replied casually, apparently unbothered. "I didn't honestly do much in other places. Just goof off around town, mostly. I did like to play games when I wasn't running around, though."

"That explains the arcade then." Hiccup replied with a smirk, still curious. He decided he'd let it drop, though, because Phlegma had finally returned at that point with a plate of steaming meat pies that smelled like ambrosia.

"Sorry for the wait!" she called, setting the steaming plate on the countertop and offering the boys a confident grin. "But ye won't be disappointed with it, on my life."

Inviting though they smelled, the white-haired of the duo seemed to regard the somewhat shabby-looking things with doubt. Hiccup nudged him in the side. "Right, uhm, thank you, ma'am." And with that, he gingerly plucked up one of the steaming pies, hissing slightly at the heat but refraining from dropping it, and raised it to his lips. He then took a modest bite, teeth sinking in to the flaky outer crust, and chewed.

And the boy's eyes widened.

With no further delay, he began blowing on the steam that continued to pour forth from his pie as quickly as possible, so that he could take another bite, and another, and another. Hiccup offered a smug look. "So? How is it?" he asked with a poorly-feigned ignorance.

"Ish fantashtic!" Jack spoke around mouthfuls, already moving on to his second meat pie. "How can shomething tashte sho good!?"

Phlegma was beaming at this point, hands on her hips in pride. "Well there ye are, then! Anyone who love my cookin' that much is welcome here any time, Hiccup."

Hiccup could swear he saw tears of joy in Jack's eyes, and he laughed. "I'm sure he's glad to hear that."

"Aye, and _I'll _be glad when ye get back to work, Phlegma!" Gobber had returned, leveling the woman with a dark look as he hoisted his tray full of empty, precariously balanced dishes upon the counter. "You've had your fun with Heccup and his new friend, now get goin'! You know Stoick needs me down at the wharf today."

Phlegma sighed, rolling her eyes. "Fine, fine Gobber. Hiccup, ya owe me five dollars for the meat pies, ye can get it to me when ye like."

"Oh, well, I've got it right here-"

But the woman waved him off. "Ah'm too busy to take it now, lad, just save it, spend it on your friend if you like. Ah'm no in a hurry to collect." She bustled off before he could say another word on the matter, apparently eager to catch up on the work provided by the current lunch rush.

Shrugging, Hiccup turned to Gobber, who was grabbing a coat and a few other things as he prepared to take his leave. "Dad needs you? Something big today?"

"Aye, that storehouse they built didn't need my supervision, but he was in here this mornin' to let me know that with it done now, they need me to direct how it should be used, what needs to go in it, it's all very sensitive work, Heccup."

Huh… "He was in here this morning?" As in, after he had tried to make Hiccup talk, then claimed he was going to work, this morning?

"Aye, what of it?" But when Gobber saw the suspicious look Hiccup aimed at him, he had a feeling he had misspoken. That damn boy was far too clever. "Anyway, you two can finish up your food and then be off with ye, I don't need Phlegma more distracted than usual when she's the only one here…"

At that moment, however, Jack seemed to have taken a break from stuffing his face and was glancing down at his phone, sighing mildly. "Actually, I've got to get going right now."

"Oh? Do ya now?" the surly man asked as Hiccup looked at him curiously.

"Yeah, my dad's asking where I am and says he needs me back home to help move some things." He hopped off the bar stool, gazing longingly at the remaining meat pies.

Hiccup smiled at him and shook his head. "You can just take them with you, Jack."

Gobber nodded, chuckling as well while pulling out a paper bag to pack the remaining pies into, before handing it to Jack. "Just make sure to come back on your own time and pay full price for 'em next time. I'm trying to run a business, here."

Jack laughed nervously as he accepted the bag, nodding. "You can count on it, Gobber. And Hiccup," he said, turning his attention to the brunette. He offered a somewhat fond smile. "Thanks for showing me around today, it was fun. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Hiccup returned the smile and waved. "Sure. See you tomorrow, Jack."

The boy took a few steps backward, seemingly avoiding turning around and breaking eye contact, before shaking his head as if to say 'Haha, what am I doing' and turning for the door, making his way out.

Gobber watched him go with a raised eyebrow and a mild squint. Huh.

"Ah, did the new boy run off already? Shame." Phlegma spoke, making a brief return to the counter.

Hiccup took the opportunity to snap his thoughts away from Jack and leveled the two with a stern look. "Gobber, did either of you guys saying anything to my dad when he was in here today?"

They both froze. Busted.

"Ahh, well, Heccup, I don't know that I have the time to discuss this right now, I've got to be gettin' off already…"

"Gobber."

"Heccup."

"Gobber!"

The burly man heaved a large sigh as he leaned against the counter's edge, glancing down at an imaginary watch on his wrist. "Look, he was in here this mornin', and he wheedled it outa me, Heccup, scout's honor."

"Ye were never a scout ya half-drunk gnome."

"Shut it!"

"Oi. Hiccup, we told your father what ye said to Mildew, might as well just come out with that."

Oh no. Sure, he had been figuring that it was only a matter of time, but still. That was awful. This was awful. "Wh… what did he say?"

Gobber groaned, defeated. "He said he was gonna have a talk with you tonight, Heccup."

"But he dinna seem mad." Phlegma cut in. "So don't go wanderin' home all gloom and doom expectin' the worst. Your father cares, you know."

"Yeah, sure wish he'd show it more often…" Hiccup mumbled to himself as he got up from his seat.

"Hiccup!" Phlegma warned.

The boy ignored her. "I'm going home then. If he's gonna be talking to me tonight, I guess I might as well enjoy what peace I can while it lasts…"

As he pushed open the doors to exit, Phlegma glared and made to follow him, clearly just _itching_ to give him an earful, but Gobber extended his arm across her, blocking her path and shaking his head somewhat sadly.

"I know ye care, Phlegma, but there's some things you jus' can't do for the boy."

She grunted in disapproval, but remained where she stood. "He shuts his father out, he doesn't listen to us, and even the Hofferson girl can't always get through to him. What are we supposed to do, Gobber?"

"Nothing. I's'not our place to do any more than offer advice, and ye know it."

Shaking her head, the woman decided to get back to work.

.

* * *

.

The sound of the door opening and closing alerted North to the arrival of a new presence in the house.

"Ah, sounds like your brother is home." he said to Mary, who was seated at the kitchen table with a sandwich. She perked up at the news.

"Jack!" she called, rushing out of the kitchen (which was still much larger than she was used to having in any of the old apartments) and rounding the corner to fly at her brother (in the midst of kicking off his shoes with a sigh), who then caught her with a happy laugh. "You're home!"

"Sure am, kiddo." he replied, swinging the girl around in a circle and letting his eyes wander the living room. He'd only gotten a glance at it last night and this morning, tired and groggy both times, and now it was fully furnished. "Whoa," he remarked, carrying Mary under his arm casually as he stepped over to a large couch. "Haven't seen this baby in a while! Storage got in already?"

"Indeed!" North affirmed to him, having stepped out of the kitchen and into the living room as well. "Delivery car arrived today, and I have already had your things taken to your room, Jack. You must simply unpack now."

Jack grinned as he set Mary on her feet, the young girl bouncing on her heels with excitement. "Awesome."

Glancing at the paper bag her brother held in his hands, and noting the pleasant aroma, her smile grew brighter. "So where were you, Jack?" she asked, clearly eager for answers.

"Yes, we were wondering what happened to you. You were out exploring?"

"More or less," the teen responded, dropping his book bag on the ground as he plopped down on the large couch, not releasing his hold on the precious meat pies. Wow, comfier than he remembered. Mary clambered up to join him, sitting beside him, while he absently began toeing his socks off onto the floor. "I was being show around town by this guy I met at school."

"Wow! You already made a new friend?" Mary asked, eyes widening with this apparent good news while North looked on with disapproval at the discarded socks. "I made a friend too!"

Jack laughed her words off, scratching his head nervously. "Hahaha, that's great, Mary! But I wouldn't get carried away, or anything. I just met them today and all, so I dunno if I'd go so far as to say we're friends."

"'Them'? You met more than one?" Mary seemed to have ignored Jack's doubts and focused more on the plurality of his statement.

"Oh, uh, yeah, Hiccup introduced me to two of his friends, so I know them too."

"Hiccup?" North asked, scrunching his brows in a humorous fashion. "Strange name, no?" he asked, making subtle gestures at the garments.

Jack chuckled as he leaned down to collect them. "I'm told it's a Viking thing."

"Well, I think if he was nice enough to show you around, then he definitely wants to be your friend." Mary added, nodding as though she believed that that simple observation was the absolute truth and nothing should deny it ever.

Oh to be young and naïve. "Well, kiddo, why don't you tell me about your day? You said you made a friend?"

She started bouncing again. "I did! I got introduced to the class, and the teacher had me sit next to a girl named Hilde, and she shared her pencils with me, then she took me to meet her friends on the playground and they wanted to know about the places I'd been to. It was really fun, I got to talk to all of them." She seemed really satisfied with herself as she relayed the tale, and Jack found that he wasn't even a little surprised. Mary had never had much trouble fitting in every time they went somewhere new.

"That's great, Mary." He smiled warmly at her, setting his paper bag and socks down on the coffee table which sat in front of the couch (not noticing North's indignant look). "Just take extra special care that you don't bring your friends around here." he warned teasingly, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I won't be held responsible for any unfortunate happenings that befall them!"

"Jack, no, don't prank my friends!" Mary pushed away from her brother, giving him a grumpy little pout.

"I'm gonna doooooo it!" he cooed, moving his hands threateningly toward his sister's sides, the promise of impending tickles.

"No!" she slapped his hands away and sprung off the couch, just as Jack leaped off after her, chasing her up and down the stairs while laughing maniacally, her screeches and laughter accompanying the chase.

North watched his children making hooligans of themselves and threw his head back, releasing a booming laugh of his own. "Jack, Jack, give Mary break, eh?"

Jack stopped, poised at the bottom of the stairs to sprint back up, his sister clutching the banister at the upper landing and smiling down at him. "I'm gonna get you later, squirt." he promised, making a pinching motion with his hands.

"No you won't, because you're a big stupid butt." she countered, before turning and dashing to her room with a mad giggle. The door closed and Jack finally relaxed his stance, laughing to himself.

North approached the young man and clapped him on the shoulder, causing him to buckle a bit. "But serious, Jack, it is good that you have made a friend. Be sure to remember; we are living permanent life now. So go, make friends, plant roots! We are going nowhere."

Jack's grin faded to a resigned smile, possibly with a mixture of disbelief thrown in as he offered a weak, nervous laugh in response. "Sure thing, North."

North was not quite pleased with such a non-committal response, but alas, he didn't know what else he could say to reassure his son. The two had been growing mildly distant for some time now, and at this point, he really didn't know what else he could do, short of giving up. It wasn't as though Jack was a bad son – no, not at all. He was wonderful. He was responsible and obedient when he needed to be, he looked after Mary dutifully, and as far as North could tell, he _liked_ him just fine.

But unfortunately, 'liked' was a far cry away from 'loved', and for as long as North had known the boy, he had never even once called him "Dad". And lately, his interactions with his father just seemed as though they were in some way being forced. North would never be able to stop thinking he had done something wrong that he couldn't be forgiven for, and whatever it was, he would do anything if it meant he could make amends for it.

He sighed very quietly. "Well, Jack, so this new friend of yours."

"Haha, acquaintance."

"Minutiae." the jolly man responded dismissively. "He showed you around, yes? Find any interesting places?"

Jack rested a hand on the banister, a subtle hint that he intended to go up into his room in a moment. "Yeah, actually. There's an arcade here, and pretty much a neat little shop for anything I could think of wanting. And it's all arranged neatly in this sort of communal square type thing."

"Ah! The plaza. I have been told about it."

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. Different, but a good kind of different, you know?"

"And this, ah, Hiccup, he offered to show you town on his own?"

Small chuckles and a few drumming fingers indicated maybe a smidge of bashfulness. "Nah, he was asked to show me around school, and then I kind of went ahead and asked him to show me around town afterward. Oh, turns out he's the mayor's son, actually."

"Ooh! Interesting indeed, Stoick did mention having son." North stroked his beard and nodded, as if thinking something over. "Mary knows already, but we have been invited to the Haddock house tomorrow night for welcome dinner."

This remark caught Jack's interest, and his lips flicked up at the corners a touch. "We're having dinner with them?"

The larger man shook with quiet mirth at the expression. "Correct. Stoick tells me it is official welcoming to town, so be on best behavior!" North added as a playful warning, all too mindful of Jack's tendency for shenanigans.

The boy gave a few quick jerks of his head to confirm he'd gotten the message, digesting the information with an irrepressible grin. "Sure thing North, I promise."

North chuckled warmly and gave him another quick pat on the shoulder, Jack braced for it this time, and then shoved his large hand into the pocket of Jack's hoodie. This confused the teen for a moment until he realized (with an eye roll) that his father had stuffed his abandoned socks in there. "Well! Your things are in your room, Jack. You had best get unpacked."

The boy nodded back, raising his smile into a jovial one. "Gotcha. I'll go and get on that."

He turned and ascended the wooden steps, his bare feet able to feel how very recently they must have been polished. Whomever had been taking care of this house prior to their arrival was certainly generous. The carpeting at the landing on the second floor was plush beneath his toes, and much like the stairs, felt as though it had been recently cleaned, and the railing lining the top of the stairs looked, frankly, fancy.

Jack had honestly been a bit surprised when they arrived at their new home the night before – after all, it was pretty big. He knew that North had a lot of money piled up in savings, and the only reason they stayed in apartments was because of the convenience it held for their migratory lifestyle, but even so, he didn't think the man could swing a place as large as this. Spacious living room and kitchen, a separate laundry room, a grand total of three bathrooms, including one connected to North's master bedroom, plus the two other bedrooms in the house. And on top of all of that, there was even a vacant space next to the living room downstairs that North had decided to make into a game room, moving his pool table in there.

Honestly, he wasn't sure if housing just came cheap in this town, or if North was secretly loaded and had never told them. Though it's not as though he and Mary had ever been left wanting for much…

'_You know, other than a place to stay where we wouldn't have to leave later.'_ he found himself thinking bitterly, but shook it out of his head a moment later. He couldn't blame that on North and he knew it.

He had arrived at his new room after a moment of losing himself in thought, only just now noting that there was a bathroom directly across the hall from it. Convenient. He breathed out heavily as he faced the closed door to his room. Well. He was pretty excited to get to see all of his old stuff he'd left in storage, but… he was also a little concerned at the memories it'd bring up.

"Come on, Jack, it's just stuff…" he muttered to himself, opening the door and stepping into the very evidently cluttered space. North hadn't been kidding about him needing to unpack, as not a single thing had been put away for him. North probably had the best intentions in mind, of course, not wanting to put anything where Jack couldn't find it, but still. Kiiiinda hard to walk.

The only thing that had been settled into place was the boy's bed, which was reasonable considering they'd set that up last night. He decided he might as well just buckle down and get to work, opening the nearest box and sifting through its contents curiously.

"Oh, hey, I remember these." he smiled as he dug out some trading cards from an old kid's show he used to watch obsessively. Quiet humors bubbled from him as he looked through them, nostalgia taking over. Many of them were rather bent or creased in some way, but he didn't care. Motivated by this first find, he began digging through boxes in earnest, discovering old toys he used to play with (including a train set that he had received from North one very special Christmas), books, movies, even a pair of deer antlers he remembered having played with when younger, using them to assist him in telling spooky stories to his sister and friends. He also found more recent things, such as games he enjoyed but hadn't played recently, more of his clothes from the move, and in one particularly long box, he'd even found his old snowboard that had ceased to be useful over the last few moves due to the lack of snow, mountains, or both. Considering the fact that Berk was covered in snow right now, though, as well as the fact that it seemed to have a few sloped areas in the nearby woods (which he had yet to have a chance to explore), he figured he might be able to use it here.

His face fell when he moved it, though, and he found what was lying beneath it. He ran his hands along its length with a crestfallen expression, the pads of his fingertips taking in the familiar, smoothed feel of the wood. He picked the item up, finding it much lighter in his hand that his memory indicated, but then, he'd done some growing of course. Gripping it still felt natural. His eyes roamed up and down the gnarled, wooden crook, admiring the natural, curved 'C'-shaped tip of the item.

He paced quietly over to the corner of his room, setting it there and leaning it between the walls. "This was probably a good reminder to find." he told himself, his voice bland and lacking emotion. His mind wandered to Hiccup, and Astrid, and Fishlegs. The three friendly new faces he had met today. That one, freckled, green-eyed face that stuck out more so than the others. "Don't get attached to them." he told himself, returning his gaze to the crook and letting his mind call forth the image of the one whom had given it to him. "This won't last. It never does."

Pessimistic? Sure, yeah. Or maybe just honest. Because this had happened before. The promise of permanence. The budding of hope. And yet both times before, it had been snatched away from them. The company found some excuse to move them. And North seemed to refuse the notion of ever just quitting that job – he could never quit on people who needed him.

No longer having the energy for the task at hand, Jack simply let himself collapse onto his bed with a heavy sigh. Did he want to be proven wrong? Sure he did. But as his eyes rested on the old Sheppard's crook, he couldn't find it in himself to believe that he would be.

.

* * *

.

"O-ow! Would you watch the claws, buddy?" Hiccup asked, smiling fondly down at his feline friend as the two wrestled, Hiccup's fingers attacking the cat's belly while Toothless responded with bites and kicks. "Is this payback for how weird I've been?" he asked hopelessly, noting the small amount of blood the cat's claws had drawn from his hand – Toothless wasn't normally so careless, and it's not like his claws hadn't received a recent clipping.

Gently, Hiccup pulled his hand away from the sizable Burmese, said Burmese holding on to the retreating appendage for a moment before his paws loosened and Hiccup was released. Almost immediately, Toothless leaped from Hiccup's lap and scurried down the hall, where he proceeded to start meowing loudly.

Hiccup laughed as he got up from his seat on the couch. "Alright bud, we can go out, just give me a moment." he called. Toothless quieted down as Hiccup made his way into the kitchen, running his hand under the faucet in the sink to rinse his tiny cuts and stabs, before patting dry on a napkin. They still stung a bit, but Hiccup shrugged it off, musing that it was simply the risk one took when owning a cat. Especially one as large as Toothless.

Honestly, the boy had his suspicions that Toothless was not a purebred Burmese, despite what the vet seemed to be intent on believing. Toothless was like a small lynx, for crying out loud. Burmese cats did not get that large, the last time Hiccup had checked. But ah well, it didn't particularly matter to him all that much. Having a larger than average animal was actually pretty cool, especially when said animal was threatening enough to scare off dogs twice its size. He chuckled at that, remembering the recent run-in Toothless had had with Hookfang, Snotlout's dog, during a routine walk. That occasion had certainly peeved his cousin.

As he exited the kitchen, he grabbed the collar which was hanging loosely from a hook on the wall, making his way down the living room hallway to meet Toothless at the door, who was pacing restlessly. "Alright, Toothless, lemme just get this on you and we'll be good to go." he instructed, kneeling down and placing the collar around the cat's neck. The feline sat still for just long enough to have the collar put on before he started dancing circles around Hiccup's feet, eliciting laughter from him. "Okay, okay! Calm down!"

Opening the back door, he and the cat made their way outside, closing it behind them as they both hopped over the small wooden fence of the back yard. What lay beyond was an expanse of woods, and Hiccup certainly felt like he could use the trip to their little private spot just as much as Toothless could.

The two made their way through snow-covered grass and weaved through tall, ghostly trees, indistinguishable from one another to an untrained eye, but Hiccup knew how to recognize the differences. And even if he couldn't, Toothless certainly could, trotting along at a brisk pace, stopping to sniff at certain trees here and there. Hiccup let him lead the way, focusing more on the still beauty of the frosty trees and the weighty snow on the branches. In spite of the heavy presence of snow, the sun was still shining, though it had begun its descent some time ago, and the lack of a breeze rendered the temperature quite pleasant.

Toothless's meow got his attention, and he glanced to his right to find that the cat had found the large, earthy mound they were looking for, several low-hanging tree branches hanging in front of it. He smiled. "Good find, buddy. That would have been a little hard for me to pick out with all of this snow." The cat closed its eyes, apparently quite proud of himself, and Hiccup stepped over to move the branches out of the way, revealing a sort of tunnel through the mound and under the trees which grew upon it.

He and Toothless made their way through, popping out on the other side to see a rather fetching little cove, concealed by a canopy of trees and rock overhead, and possessed of a pool of water that made even the one in the park seem a tad small. Hiccup smiled and took his usual perch on a large rock near the water's edge, while Toothless immediately began to scamper around, chasing what few bugs were still out and about in this weather. This place had always been _their place_. It was where Hiccup had first found Toothless, wandering alone and crying his little kitten heart out, only for an equally alone and distraught Hiccup to come across the cove where the poor creature seemed to be lost.

That was only a few days after his mother had died. His eyes scanned over the surface of the small lake, mind wandering and contemplating events to come. Such as the talk with his dad tonight. The talk about what happened to Mildew, which according to Gothi, was bringing back feelings that he felt when he had lost his mother. It was all so mixed up and had his mind running on edge.

"Uuuugh. Why can't I just go back to before any of this happened? Stop myself from being an idiot? Go back to just having that stupid showcase as my only worry…" Toothless glanced over at him from his current position, a few yards away, swishing his tail in concern. Hiccup continued to look at the still waters, eyeing his reflection dubiously. "Gothi said it was as simple as forgiving myself. Well, okay, she didn't _say_ anything, but. Whatever." As he continued to stare, he remembered that last bit of that meeting. The ripples that had started roiling across his reflection. Gothi seemed to be trying to show him something then, and he just wasn't getting it.

"Ripples usually mean change, right?" he murmured, deep in thought. "Usually changes to a bunch of stuff caused by one thing." So was Mildew's death going to affect everything? He supposed that might be true. After all, it had already caused turmoil for himself, and it brought three new lives into the town. So what? Was that supposed to be a good thing? Was she trying to rationalize the death of an old man? "I don't care how bad he was, it can't be seen as a good thing for someone to die just because they were an ass."

Well, rationalization or not, Gothi was right about those changes. After all, Jack and his family were here now. "Jack… what is with that guy?" he asked of no one, thoughts occupying new territory now. Maybe it was just because he'd spent his whole life in Berk, with no friends for most of his young life and few to speak of even now. Maybe it was because he just wasn't used to being so freely open with people, or to have any kind of openness returned without him needing to work for it. But the fact that Jack was just so irrepressibly friendly and happy to be around him, just… it was odd. Not necessarily in a BAD way. But odd all the same. He just couldn't wrap his head around it, couldn't figure out how to even respond to the boy's antics half the time. He seemed to wear fun like a second skin, and yet, there was easily more to him than that. For as much as he had shared today, Hiccup was certain that there was a lot more beneath the surface, and much like anyone else, Hiccup would need to work if he wanted to uncover any of it.

The word 'friend' was tossed around a lot today. "But can I really call him a friend?" Hiccup stared hard at his reflection, as if it would give him the answer. "I mean, he doesn't seem to have any objections to it, but… I've only known him a day." Running a hand through his hair, he groaned in irritation. "Why am I sitting here debating the semantics of friendship with myself? Why is this suddenly so important to me?" he groused, hopping off of his rock and kicking at the snow. The same shade of white as Jack's hair…

He grunted again, kicking at it some more. "What is with me today? Why does thinking about him make me so uncomfortable?"

Toothless had stepped over quietly, ears perked curiously at his human's strange behavior. Said human was standing silently, brooding apparently, his foot tapping in a nervous habit as he glared at a tree. He had a feeling Hiccup was about to do that thing where he would start beating himself up over something and let his thoughts tear themselves apart, and he was prepared to offer distraction if necessary.

However, at that moment, the odd device he always carried started making its weird noises, and Toothless determined that his human was about to engage in the strange activity of talking to the air while holding the thing to his face. Deciding his services would thus be unnecessary, Toothless turned and resumed his activities in the snow.

"Hello?" Hiccup greeted dully, not having bothered to look at who was calling.

"_Hey Hiccup. Still showing around the new guy?"_

Hiccup sighed, a faint smile appearing. "Hey Astrid. Nah, we finished that up a little while ago, Jack had to go home, and I'm at the cove now. But tell me, was running off like that really necessary?"

Astrid's voice laughed back at him. _"Oh come on, I didn't want to be a third wheel to your _budding new friendship_."_

"I get the distinct impression that you're making fun of me, Astrid. Is that what is happening here?"

"_Oh now what would have given you that idea?"_

"That weird way you decided to phrase that, for one. And seriously, can't I walk around with a new face without people getting all excited that I'm making friends with someone? You know I think it's just _delightful_ that everyone wants to call attention to my usual social ineptitude, but you know, maybe staunch the amazement factor a little, huh?"

"_Hiccup I'm sorry but it's kind of a big deal. I mean me and Fishlegs both approached you, not the other way around."_

"Yeah, and I used to do that whole 'approaching people' thing, too, you know. But a few years ago I kinda got the clue that no one was interested, so, you know, that's why that doesn't happen anymore."

"_Except for today, right?"_

"Big deal! So I showed him around campus, how impressive."

"_And you invited him to lunch. And even agreed to show him around town. Pretty bold day for Hiccup Haddock."_

"Astrid, you're blowing this up too much. It's not like I don't know how to socialize, you know."

"_Of course. But you usually can't stop yourself from making a sarcastic remark every five seconds and pissing off people as a result. So maintaining a healthy relationship with anyone is nothing short of a miracle for you."_

"…Thank you, for summing that up."

"_Hey, what are best friends for?"_

"Should I start calling you a miracle then?"

"_I might get tired of that, but it's a nice thought."_

Hiccup smirked into the receiver, holding in his laughs. A minute on the phone with Astrid and he felt right back into sorts.

"_So how did it go, anyway?"_

"How did what go?"

"_Showing him around town, smart guy."_

"Why does that matter? Why does what I do with him matter? You asked that same question about film class when we got out of school today."

"_I'm just interested."_

"Which I find suspect. Anyway, it was fine, it was whatever. I took him around, he had some meat pies, he went home, done deal."

"_You don't sound like you're telling me everything."_

"Yeah well neither do you."

A sigh could be heard on the other line. _"Hiccup, you really are dense, aren't you?"_

"Me?"

"_Yes, you. Like seriously, I don't know how you can be so smart and so stupid at the same time."_

"Okay, well, sorry to once again wave my ignorance in your face, but could you please tell me what you mean by that?"

"_Just… never mind. Forget I said anything. Anyway, as long as Jack doesn't wind up being a jerk unexpectedly, I'm fine with him if he wants to hang out with us. I didn't catch any ill vibes from him; he seems like a good guy."_

"Yeah, I guess he is." Hiccup mumbled back. Still, it was nice to hear. Astrid had always been a pretty great judge of character, after all.

"_Anyway, I've been meaning to ask you. What's been going on with you? You never talked to me again on Tuesday, you were all distant yesterday, and today you still seemed to be carrying something around with you."_

"Ugh."

"_What?"_

"No, no no, it's nothing against you Astrid, it's just. I've already told Gobber, and Phlegma, and even Gothi, and now I'm also apparently in for a talk with my dad tonight, and it's just. I'm a little tired of talking about it."

"_Yeah but come on, Hiccup. You have me worried."_

He leaned himself against a tree and slouched down into a seated position on his heels, watching Toothless and whatever adventures the cat was engaging in in that furry head of his. "I basically told Mildew to die and then he did."

There was silence. _"Whoa."_

"Yeah."

"_Wait, so you really just said to him-"_

"'Why don't you drop dead'." The boy spoke listlessly. "That's what I said to him. And how did he die? Slipped on the ice and fell."

"_Hiccup come on, you know that's not your fault. Poor timing, maybe, but it's not like you caused it." _She tried to reason.

"Doesn't matter, Astrid. Come on, how would you feel if you were in my shoes?"

"…_Not good."_

"See?"

"_Well, yeah, but I also wouldn't be blaming myself for it. And I kind of get the feeling that that's exactly what you're doing."_

"You sound like Gothi."

"_Ah, that's right; you said you talked to her. What did she, er, say?"_

"More or less tried to cheer me up, made some psychoanalytical connections to my sob-story past, you know, typical Gothi fare."

"_And by the tone of your voice I'm assuming it didn't help."_

"Actually, it did help a little. But as usual I couldn't entirely decipher what she was trying to tell me, so, it wasn't as much help as I think it could have been."

"_Yeah, I hear you. Well hey, you said you're gonna talk to your dad about it tonight?"_

"Pleeeease don't remind me." he replied, burying the heel of his right hand into his eyes.

"_Hiccup, I don't think your dad's gonna be mad at you for this. In fact, he's probably going to try to _help_ you. This could be a great opportunity to actually bond with him!"_

"Astrid I think maybe you should stop being such a busybody in my relationship with my father until you can work out the one between you and yours."

"_Oh you so did not just go there."_

"I did, and I'm sorry, but I'm irritated. Can this conversation be over?"

She sighed again, still sounding irate after that last remark. _"Fine. For now. But if you're still in this funk after talking it out with your dad tonight, then I'm not letting it go tomorrow."_

"I look forward to it. How's the dog show?"

The unexpected change of topic left the other line silent for a moment, and Hiccup began to note the waning light in the sky. _"…Alright, I guess? I-" _There were some muffled sounds as Astrid was probably adjusting the position of her phone, and Hiccup could hear the sound of a door closing. Probably ensuring she wasn't overheard. _"I got Stormfly fully registered and entered, so her participation is basically official now. It's being held a couple of weeks from now, in Bogsvale."_

"How to you plan to get out of town to get to it?"

"_Hate to say it, but I might have to ask Ruffnut if she'll drive me. I mean, I don't mind her, or anything, but I am not so sure if I would want her to know where I'm going or what I'm doing. But I don't know anyone else with a car that could take me."_

"Still surprised your dad hasn't just bought you one yet."

"_He keeps saying not till graduation. Speaking of him, I still haven't come up with a decent enough lie to tell him for why I'll be going out of town with Stormfly."_

"I can try and help you cook something up tomorrow. Too tired right now."

"_Thanks."_

"Also, can I come with you when you go?"

"_I want to say of course, but if Ruffnut drives me, it'll kind of be up to her. I wouldn't want her to decide to invite Snotlout or Tuffnut along in response…"_

"Understandable. So, does your mom know, at least?"

"…_Not yet. I think she can tell something's up, though. She always can. I'm just not sure I can count on her to not accidentally let it slip to my dad. You know how weird he got about prom last year."_

"Which was dumb, Astrid. Your dad is dumb."

"_Shut up, Hiccup."_

The two giggled a bit into their phones, and Astrid sighed. _"I figure I'll probably have to let her know, though. She might need to corroborate whatever story I tell him. I just hope she can keep it under wraps. I'm sure she'll probably get excited over something like this, after all."_

"Would it really be so bad for your dad to find out about it? I mean, I dunno, dog shows aren't _that_ girly, are they?"

"_Hiccup unless the dog show involves me commanding Stormfly to tear apart the competition until we're the last ones standing, it's girly enough for him."_

"Haha, good point. Anyway, Astrid, it's starting to get pretty dark, and cold, so I think I'm gonna go."

"_Oh yeah, you said you were in the cove."_

"Yeah. Talk to you later?"

"_Sure thing Hiccup. Good luck tonight, alright?"_

"Thanks."

Hanging up the phone, he breathed out a loooooong sigh of relief, watching his breath make clouds in the air. Toothless was approaching him, his paws wet with melted snow, and his meows indicated that he was ready to go home.

"Alright, buddy, let's go." Hiccup nodded at him, standing and stretching for a moment before scrunching into himself. "Colder than I thought…" he muttered, making for the exit of the cove through the hidden tunnel. Stressful though that conversation might have been at points, though, Hiccup did find he felt quite a bit better.

Speaking with Gothi was one thing, sure, but Astrid always had that unique way about her of snapping him out of things that Gothi couldn't always manage. He found that he didn't feel anywhere near as lousy as he had been feeing earlier, or the day prior. Though what she said about him being dense, and the vested interest she seemed to have in Jack wouldn't stop bothering him.

Still, that wasn't important. "I've just gotta muscle my way through the talk with dad, and tomorrow should be looking a lot better, right Toothless?" he asked of his feline companion, who looked up from his trot beside the human boy, and gave him a dubious look. "Hey, don't look at me like that. It could happen."

.

* * *

.

Upon arrival home, Hiccup had immediately gone to his room and signed in on his laptop. As a force of habit, his fingers moved as if on autopilot to punch in the web address for the United Artists Royal Showcase, letting his eyes wander over the page and reread the information he had memorized by heart now. The list of cities and towns it would be stopping in, and the dates for these stops.

"Berk, Maine. January 12, 2014." he recited in a dull monotone. He then glanced off to the side at his calendar and grumbled. A whole month and two weeks away. The anxiety was killing him. "Why can't it just be now?" he lamented. "I'd rather have my dreams crushed sooner than later."

He knew that he was being a sulky baby, and that if Anna, or Astrid, or Fishlegs were here, they'd all let him have it. But he didn't care. Hiccup was actually fairly optimistic, if sarcastic, about most things. But this? Sad to say he just lacked the confidence for this. Not to mention all of the other crap that was bogging him down at the moment.

Speaking of that, the sound of the front door opening alerted him that his father was home, and even on time for once. He quickly closed his browser and shut the laptop, clambering onto his bed as he sat in wait. Toothless hopped up beside him, curling at his side reassuringly. Hiccup scratched the cat's ears absently, taking the offered assurance.

Several moments passed this way, with the sounds of Stoick moving about downstairs being the only notable noise, followed by telltale footfalls up the stairs, and a… somewhat hesitant gait toward Hiccup's bedroom door. There was a knock.

"Hiccup?"

"Yeah, I'm in here, dad."

The door opened quietly, and Stoick made his way into the room with his hands behind his back, almost seeming businesslike. "So… We need to have a talk, then."

Hiccup nodded, swallowing. "Y-yeah, I kind of thought so…"

Silence hung in the air like a thick curtain, and it was apparent to both men that neither knew what to say first. Stoick hesitantly made his way over to Hiccup's bed and sat himself on the corner, his weight causing the mattress to sag noticeably.

"Gobber told me about… you know, the incident."

"Uhhh-huh."

"Son." Stoick turned his hard gaze on Hiccup and attempted to level serious concern into the look. "Are you blaming yourself over this? Be honest with me."

Hiccup sighed and nodded.

"And that's why you've been so distracted, and quiet, and haven't been eating. Just like…" now came the hard part of the conversation, and Hiccup saw it coming. "When your mother died."

Another mute nod.

"Hiccup." Stock set a large hand on his son's shoulder, its weight resting heavily upon him. "I thought we settled this back then. It wasn't your fault that your mother died, and it isn't your fault that Mildew died either."

"And just how do you know that?" Hiccup answered hotly. "You know people always think that words don't have any power, that just saying something to someone isn't going to do any harm, but how do you know it won't? How do you know that what I said didn't stick with him, distract him, cause him to slip on that ice that he'd managed to avoid for the last sixty winters?"

"Because Hiccup the only thing your words would have done was make him mad, and in case you've forgotten, you've done that before!" Stoick replied, hardening his eyes. "If being his usual cantankerous self was enough to distract the man into slipping, then I don't think it've taken him this long to do it. It was an _accident_, son. They happen!"

"Whether it was or wasn't," Hiccup looked away, his voice weakening. "I still said something horrible to someone that I can never apologize to. I can never take that back, dad. Nothing I do can make it better."

Stoick's shoulders relaxed now, and his previously stern expression melted into one of sympathy. This really was just like last time.

"How am I supposed to ever be okay with that?" Hiccup asked, and to his horror, his voice was shaking with the promise of tears as he unwillingly recalled his last words to another, far more important person in his life. He didn't want to cry, that would be seen as weakness, he knew it, but his voice shook all the same. "He's dead, dad." _She's dead, dad. _"We can talk up and down about how it wasn't my fault, but I can't ever apologize for what I said. The last words he'll have remembered me saying before it was all over were 'Drop dead'." _The last words she'll have remembered were 'I hate you'._ "So what am I supposed to do!?"

Toothless had moved a paw onto Hiccup's lap, looking up at the boy earnestly, and Stoick continued to sit and stare, listening to his son's shaking voice, at a loss for what to do.

_Just reassure him, Stoick! Let'im know it'll be okay, comfort 'im! You've got to still remember how to do that, doncha?_

Phlegma's words from that morning echoed in his mind, and acting on impulse, the large man lurched forward and pulled Hiccup into a solid embrace, patting his back and hoping to all the gods of Asgard that he was doing this right.

He could feel the shock and near-resistance in Hiccup's body, but it quickly gave way to very silent heaves, with only the slight touch of moisture through his shirt and a few sniffs giving indication of his son's current predicament. Stoick maintained the gesture, continuing to pat lightly at his son's back. "I don't know what I can say to make this better, son. But I'd like to believe Mildew had better thoughts running through his mind before he died." _I'm sure your mother thought only of how much she loved you._ "The only one who can make amends is you." _She forgives you, son, you should know that._ "If you're really sorry, that should be enough, shouldn't it?"

Hiccup had never before in his teenaged life felt as racked with sadness, shame, and embarrassment as he did in this moment. Sadness because he couldn't stop remembering, shame because of what he had done, and embarrassment because he was crying into his dad's shirt (quietly, but crying all the same) while being cradled like a little girl. Or at least, that's probably how just about anyone in the town would have phrased it.

Still, there was another aspect here. He actually felt… relief? After all, his dad (_his _dad) was actually hugging him, and trying to tell him it'd all be okay. The last time something like this had happened, Hiccup had been young enough that to be seen being coddled by his father would have still been socially acceptable. As such, the action had been long ago and it was foreign to him now, and yet so very welcome.

Having brought his silent sobs under control, he made to pull himself away, and Stoick took the cue and released him, standing up and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Hiccup didn't blame him. That was pretty hard for the both of them. But they had done it and that is what matters, right?

Stoick coughed, looking away as a show of respectfully pretending not to see Hiccup wiping his face. "So… I, ah, I trust there'll be no more of this nonsense about Mildew?"

Hiccup released a slightly wet laugh, nodding. "I may need a night to ruminate on this, dad. But, uhm… thanks. For. You know."

Stoick also nodded, his back still to his son. "Right well, ah… That's…" He seemed to take a moment to collect his nerves, breathing in for a moment, and then turned to face the boy. "Son, that is what I am here for. I… I'm a father first, and a chief second. Now if you ever need to talk to me again, I don't want you bottling it up and hiding it from me, son."

Hiccup stared up at his father earnestly, a sheepish smile worming its way onto his face. Maybe now was as good a time as ever…?

"That means if you've got to tell me about school, or any troubles you're having, or how to woo a girl, you can come to me, son." Stoick added, grinning in a manner he hoped was reassuring, though it looked a little strained.

Hiccup bit his tongue. "How to woo a girl, huh…"

Stoick seemed to perk up suddenly. "Do ya actually need advice with that?" he asked, almost too eagerly, his face lighting up with anticipation, chuckling lowly a few times as he tapped Hiccup on the shoulder with his fist. "Got your eye on a lucky prize?"

Hiccup almost felt sick. How long had his dad been waiting for this that he was this geared up to help Hiccup pursue some fine female as soon as he gave the word? Hiccup fought back the urge to frown deeply, coughing a couple of times and looking down. "No, dad, I uh, I don't need any help with that…"

"Hey, hey now Hiccup. What did we just talk about. Come on, what's on your mind? You can tell me about this."

No, he really, really couldn't. And Stoick had made that perfectly clear in his excitement. "Dad, really, there's no girl, I was just thinking out loud, that's all…" he replied, eyes roaming the sheets.

Stoick smirked and gave a knowing nod. "I see, I see. You're just feeling a bit bashful about it, hm? Well, don't worry son. I can wait. Just remember, I'm here for you when you need me to be." Stoick then gave Hiccup another firm rub on the shoulder before standing and making for the door. "Now come on downstairs and have some dinner. I picked us up some fast food today."

"Be right behind you, dad." Hiccup answered as Stoick left, still seeming all too proud of himself and their little chat. To his credit, most of it had gone well. Right up until the end there. Right when Hiccup had finally even started entertaining the notion of telling him, the man had to go and make it abundantly clear how terrible it would be for him to find that out.

His palpable excitement, his eagerness on the subject of helping Hiccup nab a girl. Yeah, splendid. "I can tell you everything, huh?" Hiccup asked quietly, staring at his bed sheets and ignoring Toothless's worried pulings. "Except for that, though, right?"

Because how do you tell the chief of a Viking town that his only son isn't interested in girls? Worse yet, how do you tell him that what his son _is_ interested in… is quite the opposite.

"You don't." Hiccup answered for himself, bitterness in his voice. "You don't ever, ever tell him."

After journeying downstairs, Hiccup had arrived in the kitchen to the sight of burgers purchased from one of the fast food joints in the plaza, and silently made to grab a few. Stoick was grabbing himself a beverage from the refrigerator, giving Hiccup a quick smile and nod as he made his way toward the living room. Apparently he was now under the impression that everything must be great between them.

This most certainly was not the case, though Hiccup wished it could be. After all, his father, as usual, had tried. Tried ever so hard and had actually granted comfort to Hiccup where he thought there was none. So the idea that he couldn't actually feel _good_ about their chat because of the sour, sobering note it ended on, was nothing short of devastating to the teen. And his poor father simply had no idea. He'd probably wake up tomorrow and cook up some breakfast while humming something jaunty, expecting Hiccup to be all smiles when he came down the stairs. Hah.

Unfortunately, more sobering still was the fact that whatever Stoick's efforts may have been, he wasn't going to change. He was still going to want Hiccup to marry a fine wife and produce plenty of children. He was still going to want Hiccup to grow up and take over as mayor. He would always hope that Hiccup might somehow "turn it around" before Senior Year and suddenly join some sports team, where he would pioneer his school to greatness.

He wouldn't want an artsy, lanky, gay son who was planning on leaving Berk as soon as he was old enough and could afford it. That would only make him furious, and probably break his heart.

Hiccup intended to depart back to his bedroom with those thoughts, but Stoick called to him as he made to ascend the stairs.

"Son, do you want to join me here and watch some TV? I'll let you choose the channel." he added with a smile as he dangled the remote like a lure.

Hiccup returned a weak grin. "Sorry, dad, still not feeling great, you know. Aftermath of all that, uh,"

"The talk."

"The talk, yes. I think I'm just going to crash early, alright?"

Stoick considered it for a moment but conceded. "Alright, Hiccup. Make sure you eat those before you do." He gestured at the burgers in the boy's loose grip.

"Sure thing."

"Oh, and Hiccup, I almost forgot to tell you. Make sure you don't make any plans after school tomorrow – I've invited the North family over for dinner tomorrow night, to formally welcome them to the town."

Hiccup froze. "Did you now?"

"Of course! Got to bring out the welcome wagon, right? Gobber and Phlegma will be coming as well. Oh, and Mr. North has a son about your age, so maybe you can invite a friend over as well, and the two of you can entertain him."

"Oh, haha, well dad, as it happens I already met him at school today. Actually showed him around the campus and town. Nice guy."

Stoick's voice brightened further at that. "Ah, well then that makes things easier! Well, they'll be along tomorrow night at seven, according to Mr. North. Want to get it done soon before the next big shipments start arriving and he's got a plate full of work to do."

Hiccup nodded without turning to face his dad, feeling like his belly was inexplicably dropping at the news. "Sounds good." he replied, and he swore his voice broke a little.

With that matter resolved, he returned to his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

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* * *

.

Azure plates stared at a blackened ceiling in the stark of night.

Viridian pools lost themselves to the tenebrous expanse, losing track of the hour.

The white-haired boy's guardian had left him with news only hours ago, news of dinner plans for the morrow.

The brunette could only continue to dwell on the knowledge as he anxiously pet his cat.

Jack continued to stare, mind troubled with self-given warnings.

Hiccup's gaze never rested, thoughts awhirl with trepidation.

Jack mused to himself over why the other boy seemed so intriguing.

Hiccup dwelled on queries regarding why thoughts of the other boy distressed him so.

Without meaning to, the both of them ended up calling the image of each other's faces to mind.

These two boys in their separate houses, in their separate lives, turned into their pillows, unknowingly in tandem, and without meaning to, thought of each other as the last thoughts that would fill their heads before they drifted off to sleep.

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**You know I'm pretty sure I never intended for this story to have this much angst in it. C'est la vie. Also if you are enjoying the story so far, please feel free to leave a review with your thoughts. They feed me, you see.**


	4. Pencil Shading

**Hey guys, it's Sunday, and that means another chapter. I think I like this one less than the last one, but better than the second? Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it.**

**Oh, and I'd like to offer a special thank you to all of my guest/anonymous reviewers. Do rest assured that if you all were not guests and/or anonymous, I would totally be sending personalized thank you cards and gift baskets full of fruit.**

**You other non-anonymous reviewers know already how much I appreciate you.**

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**Chapter 4**

**Pencil Shading**

**.**

Crystallized silver rained down from the heavens at a leisurely pace, dancing and swiveling about in a whimsical, careless manner. Reaching the already frozen earth below was apparently the least most concern of the tiny flakes, clearly more interested in riding the wind that carried them on this slow, peaceful day. As the mounds of white grew ever closer – mounds of their brothers and sisters whom had long since fallen from their home in the clouds – many of the terpsichorean little stars decided that they wanted to be different. Landing among the dirt and grass was so ordinary, and even tree branches were overdone. So clearly, the best location was the head of strange, reddish-brown material that stood out against the pristine world.

Hiccup was not quite amused with this. He had already taken a shower not too long ago as it was, and had just gotten his hair dry, after all. And yet these little snowflakes just had to go and make a mess of his hair, soaking it all over again and bringing cold to his scalp. And here he had thought that standing beneath a shelter of tree branches would help him. Pheh, fat chance Hiccup, nature clearly had it out for you today.

As he leaned patiently against the trunk of the silver-blue tree, eyes wandering over the park's pond lazily, he found himself thinking that he probably wouldn't be dealing with this right now if he hadn't insisted on leaving the house so early. After all, the forecast had warned of snowfall that would be lasting all night and morning, but it was supposed to clear up by the time Hiccup would have normally been leaving for school. Even now he could already tell that it was starting to thin as the sun began to peak out from behind gray clouds.

But hey, considering his only alternative to leaving the house early was to dawdle and wait, and having to interact with his father? He decided he much preferred this way. After last night's talk, he didn't exactly think he was quite ready to deal with how overbearingly chipper Stoick was probably going to be with him. Especially since Stoick would be assuming that Hiccup should be A-OK now, and would start prying immediately if he detected that his son was still down about something.

"I just need some time." he mused to himself, glowering down at the snow that he was normally rather fond of, as if it were to blame for how his conversation with his dad had gone. "Just gotta give myself some space from him so I can fall back into the old routine of faking it." Because that's what he usually did, after all. Problem with dad? Big guy not understanding you? Rambling about something you're disinterested in? Just pretend everything is okay! Yeah, Hiccup, because that's healthy. Also it doesn't make you seem like a tool at all.

Of course, the thought only now occurred to him that Stoick would probably find it odd that Hiccup had left the house without even having _seen_ his father. And thus he would probably be questioned on that too. "Doesn't matter." he said to himself, crossing his arms. "I just need a day away to forget all about this."

"You're muttering to yourself."

The voice caught him severely off guard, regardless of the fact that he _had_ been waiting for her. "Astrid!" he called, straightening up and turning to face the girl who had seemingly materialized out of thin air at his side. Her thin brows were arched knowingly at him, accompanied by a smirk. "Hey there, uh, what's- uhm. You been here long?"

She rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath. "No, I'm sure you'll be glad to know I have not. But I was pretty surprised to see you here." she replied. "It's pretty early, Hiccup. Just how long have _you_ been waiting?"

Hiccup noted that she was taking in how wet his hair looked, a clear indication that he'd been standing in the snow for some time. "…A little while?"

Astrid leaned herself against the tree as well, nudging her shoulder up against Hiccup's as she surveyed the stillness of the park. "Would have had to have left pretty early for that. Now I'm no detective, but I'm guessing you wanted to get out as soon as humanly possible."

Hiccup merely nodded, not bothering to hide anything. "Yep."

"I take it the talk didn't go well, then."

Hiccup seemed to take a moment to himself, debating how to answer that question. "Well… yes and no." He cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair, trying to slide some of the gathered moisture out of it. "Can we walk?"

Astrid nodded, and the two pushed off from the tree and began to make the trek to their school, early though it might have been. "So what do you mean?"

"Well, I mean. I guess it actually went pretty well for the most part." he began, sounding rather genuine. "My dad talked to me about the incident and… well, I'll spare you the details, but, he actually ended up making me feel a lot better. He…" Astrid didn't miss the ghost of a fond smile that had appeared for a moment. "He actually comforted me, if you can believe that. Kind of gave me exactly what I needed at that moment."

Astrid was grinning at this news, clasping her elbows in her hands as she and her friend walked at a brisk pace. "That sounds all good to me, Hiccup. Where exactly is the problem?"

He sighed. "The problem starts with the way it ended. Astrid, I was actually… I was very seriously considering telling him. About. You know. The thing."

She cocked her head to the side. "The showcase…?"

"No, Astrid. The other thing. The thing about me." She still seemed confused for a moment. "Astrid, the _thing,_ about me."

Then realization dawned on her as her eyes widened and she reflexively raised a hand to her fringe to push some stray hair back. "You were gonna tell him _that_?"

"Yes. I thought it was a good moment, and I couldn't figure there'd be a better time for it because he was talking about being open with him and I mean, he was also being open and trying with me, and I figured I'd never get a golden opportunity like that again."

"Oh no. He didn't react badly, did he?" she asked, dread filling her voice.

He shook his head. "No, because I didn't even tell him. Because just when I was about to lead into it, he made it pretty clear that it was the opposite of what he wanted. He started going on about wanting me to find some pretty girl, and was super eager to start sharing tips on how to 'woo' her, and… ugh, Astrid you should have seen his face. The moment he thought I was about to ask him for girl advice, he was more excited than I think I've seen him in years. Or, when the subject pertained to me, at least." he stated with a touch of bitterness. "So, dah-dah-dah, pretty clear to me that telling him anything about that is the last thing I should be doing."

Astrid wasn't sure how to react to this. Honestly, she found that she was usually pretty good at coming up with something encouraging to say, but this time she really couldn't think of much else beyond a simple "Oh."

Silence persisted between the two for a time as their gait slowed, taking their time in reaching their school-bound destination. Hiccup noted that the snow seemed to have ceased in its fall, and the winter breeze on his damp hair was none too pleasant, bringing only a severe chill with it.

"Well, hey, Hiccup," Astrid tried, lifting her hands a bit as if to reason with her friend. "At least everything else went well, right? I mean, you and your father really bonded last night, and that's still something. It's still progress." she spoke in a cheery fashion, trying to dissuade the ill humor on the boy. She had to admit that she felt rather bad for him at the moment. Though, simultaneously, she couldn't really say she was surprised.

"Astrid, my dad and I are never going to make the kind of progress that we need to make if I can't share something like this with him. It's kind of a big deal."

She sighed. "Yeah, I know…" Her arms crossed tightly over her chest, securing warmth against the colder-than-usual morning. "Well… are you at least feeling better about the death?"

This question was one Hiccup hadn't been expecting, but he found that he visited the thought rather easily, blinking as he nodded at her. "Actually, yeah." he realized. "I think… I'm pretty much past the guilt I was feeling for Mildew, mostly. I'm actually planning on paying a visit to his grave when I get the chance. Pay my respects, you know."

Astrid greeted this news with a soft, encouraging smile. "That's a good thing to do, Hiccup. You want me to come with?"

"Nah, it's fine. I don't really know when I'm going to do it, and I think it's the kind of thing I should do on my own, anyway."

"Yeah, guess so." she agreed, sighing as the thick air seemed to lift from around them. She let out a heavy sigh and watched the icy cloud that formed in the air, her expression contemplative. What else was there to talk about? Well, plenty, actually, but what subjects wouldn't seem random to breach all of a sudden? …None, really. Well, no sense in staving it off then. "So, Hiccup!"

"Oh here it comes…"

"Think Jack will be joining us for lunch again today?"

"And just as I thought, it's about Jack." Hiccup stated with a mock celebratory tone, raising a fist into the air. "What does he win, Charlie? Oh, not much, just a box full of exasperation."

"Har har." She added blandly, clapping her hands slowly in facetious applause.

"Astrid, I don't know, and seriously, I still don't get why you're so- oh hold on a sec." Hiccup's eyes almost looked like they crossed for a moment, staring at his nose briefly. Astrid recognized the behavior as one that the brunette displayed when he was remembering something pertinent. "Actually, now that you mention Jack, there is something I need to talk to you about."

This had Astrid's immediate interest. "Oh?" she asked, gaze expectant.

Hiccup gave her an odd look, noting the light in her eyes and sighed. "My dad told me last night that Jack and his family are apparently coming to my house tonight for dinner, as something of a welcoming party. He said I could invite a friend or two if I wanted, so I was going to ask if you wanted to come."

Astrid blinked. "Oh. Well, hmmm." She gave the matter some thought. Clearly that information was not what she had been anticipating, and now she needed to mull over anything she had going on today. "Since it's dinner, it'll be in the evening, right?"

"That is generally when dinner is held, Astrid, yes."

She smacked him on the shoulder with a muttered 'smartass' falling from her lips. Hiccup hissed and rubbed at it while Astrid continued to think for a moment. "Sure, yeah." she concluded. "I should be able to make it. You going to invite Fishlegs too?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yep. The more the merrier, right?" he asked, almost nervously.

Astrid found the behavior curious. Certainly, it didn't seem that Hiccup was too big on the idea of entertaining Jack alone. Even if he _had_ already done just that yesterday. Then again, a house was a pretty personal place, and she could distinctly recall that it had taken a while after she and Hiccup had first met before he finally considered inviting her over.

The evidence was really piling up, Hiccup…

"Sure." she replied, though her tone belied the fact that she certainly didn't buy Hiccup's excuses. "I'll be over around 7-ish then?"

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at the girl's tone of voice, recalling their conversation from yesterday and how interested she seemed to be over Jack. However, in the interest of not digging that back up, he chose not to mention it. "Yeah, that sounds good."

.

* * *

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Pale lips were pulled thin, somewhat anxiously, as a pair of blue eyes fixed themselves firmly upon the back of an auburn head. It was as though their owner thought that if he looked hard enough, the freckled boy would detect that he was being watched and would turn to face him.

In the middle of class.

And then what, Jack? He couldn't exactly talk to him with everyone in here anyway, he thought to himself, slumping forward and resting his chin on his arms. He kicked his feet restlessly, wiggling his toes inside his shoes as he restrained a loud sigh. Wouldn't do to bring attention onto himself in the middle of whatever it was Ms. Zebek was rambling on about.

Jack had wanted to speak with Hiccup before school began, if at all possible, to discuss the apparent dinner plans that were to be taking place that evening. He had even gone to the same park where he had seen Hiccup the day prior, but the boy hadn't been loitering there like before. He hadn't considered that to be a big deal, figuring he'd just talk to Hiccup before class started. But more vexing still was the fact that Jack just _happened_ to be running late (and it definitely wasn't because he'd hung around by the pond in the park for almost twenty minutes, nope). As such, he had only managed to get to class just as it was starting, and Hiccup was already seated.

Discouraged, he had offered the boy a quick wave, which was returned, and took his seat in the back of class, feeling put-off that he hadn't been able to exchange words with the brunette. Honestly, it shouldn't have been a big deal; he'd just talk to him after class. Right? Except for the fact that, for whatever reason, the more time that passed, the more nervous he became.

What if Hiccup didn't know about the dinner? What if his dad hadn't told him? How weird would it be for Jack to just come wandering up all 'Hey, we're having dinner tonight, isn't that cool?' if Hiccup didn't know about it? Jack's dark eyebrows knit together at the idea. Now he had to think about what he was going to say. Ms. Zabek continued to go on up in front of the class about something or other that Jack wasn't even pretending to pay attention to, thoughts too occupied on the more-seemingly-complicated-than-it-should-be predicament he now found himself in.

Still, while nervous thoughts swam about in his busy mind, he also found himself unable to shake the mild giddiness he was feeling at the idea as well. After all, he had just made a cool new friend, and now he was already getting to check out his house? Plus it was a welcoming dinner where a lot of people would apparently be around, so it was almost like a party. That had to be fun, right? Jack liked fun. Jack was all _about_ fun. Fun wasn't complicated, fun didn't need to be thought out, fun was something that you just _did_. Fun had been his greatest companion over the last several years, and it was the prospect of having fun tonight that allowed Jack to ignore the incessantly warning voice in the back of his mind, the one that kept talking about what a bad idea it was to get so familiar with someone so quickly.

Because what was the worst that could happen? It was just Hiccup. They'd only met yesterday. It wasn't as though Jack was about to start calling him his best friend or anything. He was just an enjoyable acquaintance, right? …Right.

The ringing of the class bell snapped Jack right out of his unwanted thoughts and brought a smile to his face. Ahead of him, he could see Hiccup standing from his desk and heading for the door, before standing aside as the other students made their way past him, his eyes trained on Jack as if waiting for him. Jack grinned at that as he gathered his belongings and stood.

"Oh, Jack?" Zabek spoke up from her desk, smiling sweetly at him. "Can you come up here for a sec? I need to have a talk with you."

And just like that, his grin was gone. He shot a look at Hiccup, who simply returned it with a shrug. The boy then glanced up at the clock meaningfully, sighing as he turned back and sent Jack a look that indicated he clearly needed to get moving. Jack grumbled to himself and waved as the brunette vanished out the door.

Ms. Zabek did not miss the exchange, and gave the teen a rueful smile as he approached her desk. "Sorry, I don't mean to hold you up or anything. It's just that we need to talk about bringing you formally up to speed now. I've got to explain to you how you'll be graded from here on out, since you started the year late, give you a few important assignments to catch up on that the other students have already done…"

Jack didn't dislike Ms. Zabek, not at all. She certainly seemed very nice, aside from the fingers-in-mouth incident yesterday, but he couldn't help but feel like she was just rambling now, and he was far too preoccupied with his foiled conversation with Hiccup to pay her the proper amount of attention.

Ah, well.

.

* * *

.

It took a rather valiant effort for one to refrain from falling asleep in the dim light of a classroom, especially when one's usual amount of sleep had been compromised that morning due to an insistence upon getting out of the house.

Fortunately for Hiccup (or perhaps unfortunately, depending on how you looked at it), his mind had a habit of buzzing around a lot when he was restless, and this buzzing generally tended to keep him from taking advantage of opportunities to sleep in class when they were presented. While his Pre-Calculus teacher had seen fit to disregard teaching for the day (the man made no effort to hide the fact that he simply didn't feel like giving a lesson, after all) by putting in a movie, Hiccup was far more occupied mulling over the disappointed look he had seen on Jack's face when he was asked to hang behind the rest of the class.

The small-framed Viking had to admit, he was actually kind of disappointed as well. He had been somewhat looking forward to speaking with Jack again, if he was being perfectly honest with himself, especially in light of the debacle that would be occurring tonight. But of course, it was also simply because he enjoyed it. In spite of their short time together, Jack had a certain something about him, something that just invited the brunette in and made him feel glad. Sure, he found it a bit weird, but at this point he was resigned to simply stop thinking about it so much. He made peace with the idea that he just _liked_ talking to the white-haired youth, simply for the sake of it. Though he would avoid mentioning that to Astrid seeing as how she had to go and make a big deal out of his every friendly interaction with someone outside of her and Fishlegs.

Speaking of Fishlegs, a hushed whisper spoke up from behind Hiccup, causing the boy to snap out of his daze and turn in his seat to face his large friend. Fishlegs was smiling at Hiccup expectantly, as if waiting for him to say something, to which Hiccup could only blink owlishly.

"…What, Fishlegs?" he asked quietly, mindful of the other whispering students in the classroom, as well as the disinterested teacher.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "I said, who do you think did it? The widow or the maid? I think it's pretty obviously the maid, but…"

Hiccup blinked again. It took a couple moments for it to register that Fishlegs was referring to the movie that was currently playing on the mounted TV in the corner of the classroom. He recalled it had been some kind of mystery film. "Uhhhh, yeah, gonna be honest with you Fishlegs, I haven't been watching."

"Spacing out?" his friend asked, chuckling a little. "You've been doing that a lot lately. You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little stressed about things the past couple of days."

Fishlegs nodded, turning back to glance at the screen for a few seconds, as something interesting appeared to be happening (something about a finely-dressed dame with a long cigarette brandishing a gun at a flabbergasted gentleman). Abruptly, he turned back to Hiccup and spoke again, his voice still low and surreptitious. "Is Jack going to be eating with us today? He was good company."

Hiccup would have rolled his eyes at the question, seeing as how it was the very same one Astrid seemed so fixated upon, but Fishlegs just seemed generally excited about the prospect. The guy did love making new friends, Hiccup reminded himself with a small laugh. "That depends on what Jack wants to do." he responded simply, unable to give certain affirmation.

After all, he was not the one who determined how Jack chose to spend his lunch period. But as he turned back to face the front of the classroom, he found himself believing (and hoping) that he would.

.

* * *

.

The act of moving books in and out of a locker was so routine at this point that it was essentially automatic. Hiccup simply stared into the metal space, not really paying much attention while his freckled hands swiftly and efficiently transferred text books from his bag into storage and vice versa. The fourth period dismissal bell had rung only moments ago, excusing the brunette from a rather unproductive art class and heralding the arrival of lunch.

"Think that's everything." he murmured absently, closing the door to his locker and slinging the bag over his shoulder. And with the door now shut, he became aware of the hoodie-clad, pale teenager leaning against the locker beside his, grinning.

"Well fancy meeting you here." he chirped.

Hiccup almost jumped, but thankfully, managed to keep his startled reaction limited to a simple widening of eyes (and a slight reddening of the cheeks but he refused to even acknowledge that that was happening). "Jack. Uhm. Hi."

Jack laughed, clearly finding Hiccup's expression to be just _hilarious_. "Hey there. I remembered you said yesterday that your locker was one hall over from mine, so I decided to come looking."

Smirking, Hiccup lowered his eyelids to half-mast in what he hoped was a taunting expression. "Committing my location to memory, hm? Way to be a creeper, Jack. I might have to alert the faculty that I have a stalker."

"Wh- Hey!" he protested, nudging himself off of the locker he was leaning on. "You're the one who told me in the first place, smart guy."

"I was making an observation about the school at the time." Hiccup replied easily, enjoying his teasing as he began to walk away.

Jack stepped up beside him, a little smile on his lips as he bumped his shoulder against the other boy. "Sure you were."

"Doth I detect sarcasm?" the shorter boy asked somewhat theatrically.

"Maaaybe. I mean, to just _casually_ mention where your locker is located seems to me like a pretty obvious ploy to get my attention."

"Mister Overland, that is a brazen suggestion and I am quite sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Hiccup's voice was as deadpan as they come, somewhat at odds with the playful grin he wore. "I shall thank you to stop this, for what would my neighbors think if they heard you talking in such a way? They might hand me the scarlet letter."

His companion almost doubled over with mirth at that last remark, managing to keep step with the green-eyed teen but certainly having a time of it as he attempted to get his laughter under control (which caused him to bump into a few passing students as well, who shot him odd looks). "Okay, Hiccup." Jack breathed, straightening himself up and still giggling a bit. "You are not allowed to say things like that. I can't handle hearing it from you."

Hiccup merely chuckled at this, pleased that his dry humor was to Jack's apparent liking. "You don't tell me what to do. I'm a free spirit. A wild buck. You can't contain this much sheer," he raised his hands and bent his fingers tightly at the knuckles, as if balling up an imaginary piece of paper. "raw, vikingness. There will be consequences."

Jack continued to laugh to himself as he shook his head hopelessly at the boy. After a moment, he cleared his throat, deeming a change of subject appropriate. "So I guess I will be having dinner at your house tonight?"

Ah, well! The elephant was successfully ushered out of the room, thank you Jack. "Ah, yes, I was wondering if you'd been told about that." Hiccup nodded, one of his hands gripping the strap of his book bag. "That would indeed be the plan for this evening, as I understand it."

"Well, awesome, it sounds like it'll be pretty cool. My dad said Gobber would be there?"

"Yeah, Astrid too. My dad said I could invite her, and I'm going to ask Fishlegs to come as well. Oh, and Phlegma will be there too."

This had Jack immediately excited. "Really? Do you think she'll bring over more of those meat pies?"

Hiccup led the two into a right turn, directing their stroll toward the cafeteria. "Possibly. Didn't you get enough of those yesterday?"

"Psh, I wish! But I left the bag on the coffee table when I got home and my dad ended up eating them all." He explained, sticking a lip out petulantly. "Those were mine…"

Green eyes crinkled at the edges with silent laughs at Jack's expense. "Well with any luck, there will be more tonight."

"Also I should warn you that I'm gonna mess with your house."

He almost sputtered. "Pardon?"

Jack met the boy with a mischievous leer. "Yep. Gonna get my snoop on, maybe leave a few traps lying around for you."

"Oh you had better not."

"Oh but I will Hiccup."

"Jack, no."

"Hiccup, yes."

Hiccup's glare, unfortunately, was hardly what anyone would call threatening, especially when he insisted upon blowing air into one of his cheeks like a lopsided chipmunk. "I'll call Phlegma and tell her not to bring over any pies."

Crystal blues widened. "You wouldn't dare."

"Try me."

After a moment of not-actually-very-tense silence, Jack relented and leveled the boy with an unconvincing glare of his own. "You win this round, Haddock."

Hiccup smirked as he took a left and entered the cafeteria, calling over his shoulder. "I believe I won the last one, too, Snowcone."

It didn't take very long for the two to collect their pabulum from the cafeteria chefs, especially seeing as how Jack still refused to touch most of the dubious-looking food. The two made their way through the crowds of hungry students, Hiccup with practiced ease and Jack with a natural lightness on his feet, and proceeded to search out Hiccup's usual table. Fishlegs was fairly easy to spot, so it didn't take more than a second or two before the brunette was leading them to it, waving as he took his usual seat next to Astrid. Jack seated himself next to Fishlegs once again, clearly content with that position, and Fishlegs gave him a quick smile before continuing with whatever he had been talking to Astrid about.

"But yeah, the herbs are all pretty inexpensive, so I'm sure you could buy them, and the recipe isn't very hard either, you know?"

Astrid gave him a good-natured smile. "It sounds really cool, Fish, but I think my dad would notice if I decided to spend an evening mixing up shampoo in the bathtub."

"What exactly is this now?" Hiccup asked, screwing up his eyes at that.

"Oh, Fishlegs was telling me about this original recipe he found online for a dog shampoo. He thinks it'll make Stormfly's coat super shiny and give her an edge in the show."

"What show?" Jack asked, smiling with interest.

Astrid tensed at the sound of his voice, as if just remembering that he was there and turned her attention at him, looking like she was at a loss for words. "Uhh, oh, that's. Uhm."

Fishlegs rolled his eyes. "Astrid entered her dog in a dog show and she doesn't want anyone to know about it, _especially_ her dad."

"Fishlegs!" Astrid almost shouted.

Fishlegs gave her a bemused look. "What? This is the second day he's sat with us, so it's preeeetty clear he wants to be a part of the group, right?" he asked, looking at Jack for confirmation.

Hiccup looked almost mortified at how forward Fishlegs was being, and Astrid seemed torn between miffed and nervous. Seeing this, Jack coughed awkwardly and looked back at Fishlegs. "Ahhhh… yes? I mean, I haven't met anyone else I'd want to hang out with yet?"

Fishlegs nodded, eyes closed with an almost superior air as if to convey 'See? I was right and you two suck.' "Then there you have it! If Jack's going to be our friend, he should know about this stuff, right?"

Hiccup was laughing nervously now, eyes darting at Astrid, who was resting her face in her hands.

"Fishlegs." she said. "You could have at least let _me_ tell him. Or even asked if it was okay to share that."

Jack waved his hands in front of his face disarmingly, his expression apologetic. "Listen, I didn't mean to- I mean, if it was personal, I'm sorry if I-"

She cut him off with a sigh. "It's fine, Jack, it's fine. Just do me a favor and make sure you don't go telling anyone else about it? It's _supposed_ to be a secret, _Fishlegs_."

The large boy chuckled nervously, having the distinct impression that his choice to speak up about it may have been a little maladroit. And that he was probably in trouble now.

Jack nodded emphatically. "Of course, I won't tell anyone. But, may I ask why it's a secret?"

"No."

"O-Okay." Jack cleared his throat and looked around, trying to avoid looking at the girl. She may have said it was fine, but he was pretty sure that it most certainly was _not_, based on how she was acting. Hiccup's expression, all thin lips and soft glares at Fishlegs, seemed to confirm that suspicion.

An awkward air seemed to have fallen around the group, and Hiccup drummed his fingers as if searching for a change of subject. It was at that moment, however, that Snotlout elected to show his face at their lunch table once again, his appearance being rather sudden (though possibly just because Hiccup hadn't noticed him coming over today).

"Hey, Hiccup." he called lazily, and Hiccup noted that neither Ruffnut nor Tuffnut were with him (nor was anyone else, for that matter). His voice also seemed to lack any hint of taunting for once.

"…Yeah?" Hiccup asked as his friends all directed their attention at the new arrival.

The muscular teen stepped up to the table and dropped a large envelope onto it, in front of his cousin, eyeing it with disinterest. "I'm supposed to give that to you. My dad wants you to give it to yours."

Hiccup stared at the object for a moment and blinked. "Uhm, okay? What is it?"

Snotlout simply shrugged. "Hell if I know. And I don't really care."

And with that, he turned on his heel and departed without another word, clearly having no intention of messing with Hiccup today.

"…Well that was weird." Astrid commented, raising an eyebrow at him. "Don't think he's ever done that before."

Hiccup nodded as he picked the envelope up gingerly, fingers running along the edges. "I wonder what this is…"

Fishlegs was craning his neck at it, as if doing so would somehow give him a glimpse of what lay inside. "Are you gonna check?"

Hiccup shook his head, tucking the item into his bag. "No. If it's for my dad then it'd be an invasion of privacy to do that."

"Definitely curious though." Fishlegs stroked his chin with thick fingers, pensive. "What could Snotlout's dad want to give to yours?"

"Does it really matter? Anyway," The brunette spoke up, eager to change the subject once again. "So, Fishlegs, my dad is inviting Jack's family over for dinner tonight and said I could invite friends. You wanna come over?"

Fishlegs grinned brightly at this news, but it disappeared pretty quickly as he lowered his eyes to the table in remembrance. "I wish I could, but my parents and I are going out tonight, so. Sorry."

Hiccup nodded. "Don't sweat it, it's alright." he assured.

"But it sounds like a lot of fun." His tone was almost a whine, and disappointment was plainly evident on his face.

Jack, having kept quiet in the wake of the Astrid incident, decided to be speak up again, offering Fishlegs a sympathetic smile. "Hey, it'll be fine. We can all hang out some other time, right?" he asked, ignoring that annoying voice in his head that wouldn't shut up about being careful.

Fishlegs' expression turned hopeful, and he returned the smile. "You want to?"

Jack nodded. "Sure thing. Hiccup said you liked movies yesterday." he mentioned conversationally, a faint dusting of pink visiting his cheeks as he recalled the context of that conversation. "Maybe we could all go some time? You know, help me get to know you all a little better."

A little surprised by the offer, the blonde girl glanced between her two friends and considered the idea. Hiccup was looking away in apparent embarrassment, and she knew she had something else to bug him about now, and Fishlegs seemed incredibly eager at the idea. Really, Fishlegs, always fascinated by new people and things…

"You sure about that, Jack?" she asked of the white-haired young man, her expression a conflation of challenge and playfulness. "Offering to go to a movie with us? You're all but sealing the deal on the whole 'Social Suicide' thing."

Jack snickered at her, offering her his most winning smile and jerking his thumb in the direction that Snotlout had walked off in. "I'd rather drown to death with you guys than swim with people like him."

The four of them shared in a laugh then, seeming to dissolve the earlier tension. But as conversation persisted at the table, mostly dominated by Fishlegs and Jack, the brunette boy found himself thinking deeply on those words. He glanced up at Jack when he was sure that the boy wasn't looking, and the smile Hiccup aimed at him spoke of sincere fondness.

It was not missed by the ever-watchful Astrid.

.

* * *

.

"And I'd just like to remind my crew members that the game is tomorrow!" A portly man with a short stature paced about in front of his class, carrying himself in a way that clearly exuded the status of 'Big Important Director', hands crossed behind his back and a satisfied smile on his face. "Don't none of you go and miss it!" he urged, waving his hand in the air for emphasis.

"Uhm, Mr. Mulch?" one of the students raised his hand, offering the man a sheepish look.

"Yes, what is it Gustav?"

"I, uh, I actually won't be able to make it tomorrow, turns out."

"What!?" This news was clearly not to the teacher's liking. "But you're on left center field! That's one of our most important locations!"

"I know, I'm sorry! But my mom has this thing, and-"

The man let out a longsuffering sigh, his voice returning to a reasonable volume. "Spare me, Gustav. At least you let me know in advance. Even if it _was_ just a single day. So! Who wants to fill in for Larson?"

Eyes widening, Jack swiveled in his seat to face Hiccup, an excited look on his face as if he was asking permission. Hiccup offered him an amused look and a hand gesture that clearly meant 'Go ahead.'

"Mr. Mulch!" Jack nearly shouted, raising his hand.

"Ah, Overland?"

"I'd be happy to fill in!"

Mulch chuckled at the enthusiasm, raising a fist in triumph. "Well, glad we got that settled then! Make sure to be at the field tomorrow, no later than six. Now, with that out of the way, you're all excused to your projects."

Mulch returned to his desk, where a pile of foreboding paperwork seemed to be waiting for him, while his students immediately rose from their desks and made their way toward the computers in the back of the classroom, eager to get to work on their editing work.

Jack wasted no time in talking Hiccup's ear off. "Haha, isn't that awesome! My second day in class and I'm already on a film crew! I'd say that's pretty good, myself."

"Yes, that's wonderful Jack."

"What's it like, anyway? Do we get to do a bunch of cool panning shots and add commentary?"

"We follow the ball's location with the camera. That's it."

"Aww, come on Hic, it's probably more exciting than that."

Hiccup ignored the butterflies in his chest as he sat down at his work station, Jack seating himself at the computer beside his. "No, Jack, I hate to break it to you, but it really isn't. It's bland and it's cold."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Alright whatever, Mister Buzzkill, but hey, now you'll have someone else to keep you company tomorrow, right?"

Hiccup smirked. "You realize we'll be stationed on opposite ends of the field, don't you?"

The look on Jack's face indicated that no, he did not realize this. Hiccup almost laughed out loud at the expression. "Ah, well, no big deal." he brushed off carelessly, waking his computer from sleep mode and logging in with the information he'd been given yesterday. "I still say it'll be fun."

"What are you even working on?" Hiccup asked him, glancing at his screen. "You haven't even filmed anything to start editing."

"Oh, Mr. Mulch talked to me yesterday after class, gave me a basic reel to edit to get the hang of the software. He says you guys did it earlier this year."

"Oh yeah, that thing." The green-eyed teen nodded, recognizing the footage that appeared as Jack started up the program. "He'll probably have you do your own actual editing project as soon as our next film assignment comes up."

"What are you working on?"

He chuckled. "Our most recent assignment had us picking from a list of themes to decide what we'd film. I picked trash and recycling, so now I'm editing together a sort of public service announcement." he explained, smirking darkly to himself as he came across some footage he'd captured of Tuffnut tripping and falling into a garbage can.

Jack noticed this and erupted into silent hysterics.

"Oh, Hiccup?"

The boy snapped his shoulders straight and turned to face Mr. Mulch, whom had appeared behind him rather silently. "Ah, yes sir?"

Mulch chortled softly. "Could I ask you to run these papers down to the office for me?" he asked, handing Hiccup a stack of sheets. Looked like budget forms, at a glance…

"Sure thing. Do I just drop it off with the secretary?"

"Yes, that'll do just fine."

The brunette quickly minimized his program and locked the computer screen, nodding at Jack to indicate his temporary leave as he made for the classroom door. Jack responded with a lazy smile and wave.

As he crossed the threshold dividing classroom from hallway, an almost immediate hush surrounded him when he closed the door. Hiccup always enjoyed wandering the school's hallways when no one was around. Not simply because it was quiet and without crowds, but also because the school itself was rather cozy when he could see it in this light. The interior design was plain but not dull, the place was kept in a perpetually clean shape, and the positioning of windows allowed a very moderated amount of sunlight to filter into the building, creating something of a calming atmosphere.

Times like this, where he could focus on a simple gofer task and otherwise let his thoughts wander, also helped him unwind rather frequently and visit random notions. Such as wondering why he always seemed to be the one that teachers chose to run things to the office. He couldn't figure there was any good reason for it, after all, and yet it always seemed to be him. Not that he minded, of course.

Was it because he seemed dependable? Or maybe they knew he was quick on his feet. Or perhaps, in some classes at least, they noticed how much he didn't want to be there and took pity on him? Eh, that last one seemed less likely. The office would be looming around the corner, and Hiccup picked his eyes up from his feet just as he made the turn. And saw Tuffnut standing outside the office door.

Impulsively, he stopped himself mid step and paced back around the corner, out of sight, before peeking around the edge again. What was he doing? The blonde boy appeared to be simply standing outside the office door, peering at it with a strange expression. Hiccup continued to stare, confused. He was also kind of hoping that he'd hurry up and leave or something. A run-in with Tuffnut was never exactly an enjoyable one, in his experience (though he'd be hard-pressed to rate it anywhere above "unwanted annoyance", honestly).

It was then that he noticed that the young man appeared to have a sheet of paper clutched in his hand, a fact that was made more apparent when he brought the sheet up to his face. Hiccup was fairly sure he had never seen Tuffnut staring so intently at anything in his entire life as he was now. Growing a little fed up with waiting for the other to clear out, Hiccup sighed and rounded the corner again.

"You know, Tuff, if you're here to drop something off, you won't accomplish anything by just staring at it. You might want to start by opening the door." The sardonic barb rolled off his tongue rather naturally, and he mentally scolded his own lack of effort in avoiding the aforementioned unpleasant run-in.

Tuffnut's attention had snapped to the approaching head of reddish brown as soon as he heard the voice, and he almost seemed to flail as he tucked the sheet of paper behind his back. "What are you doing here?" he asked, clearly unwelcoming.

Hiccup rolled his eyes and help up his stack of papers. "Delivery for a teacher. What are you doing here?"

"Nothing."

"Didn't look like nothing from where I was standing."

Tuffnut narrowed his glare then, his long locks swaying as he jerked his head forward a bit, closing some of the distance between them. "What, were you spying on me or something?"

"I wouldn't call it spying. More like I just happened to catch you staring at a piece of paper like it just insulted your mother. What even is it?"

Tuffnut stepped closer, raising his shoulders threateningly and tensing his upper arms. Hiccup had to admit, the action was a little startling, and he was indeed starting to feel a little threatened as the boy drew closer. "It's none of your business! Go back to… To…"

The brunette could tell that he was looking for something clever and witty to tell Hiccup to go back to doing, but in the interest of avoiding a punch to the face, decided he'd try and keep his own dry humor to himself (even though he was just _itching_ to say something sarcastic right now). It wasn't as though Tuffnut had ever punched him before. But even so, Hiccup knew when the ice was thin.

"Uh, look, I'm just going to go ahead and drop this stuff off, alright? You just keep doing… whatever it was you were doing." Hiccup stated, making to step around Tuffnut carefully.

The blonde grumbled irritably, though, stepping back and making a quick about-face. Hiccup was pretty sure he caught a mumbled 'whatever' as he stomped away. Just before taking a right, though, he also saw the other boy crumbling his sheet of paper into a ball and dropping it into a waiting waste bin.

Hiccup released a nervous breath he'd been holding, running a hand through his hair as he mentally questioned the… interesting, exchange. Putting it out of mind, he wasted no further time in stepping into the office and leaving the papers with the secretary, who gave him a warm smile and mumbled something about budget meetings as she glanced over the paper work. Hiccup gave her a nod and made his way back into the halls, intent on returning to class.

However, he couldn't help but let his eyes linger on the waste bin as he walked away. He stopped. He stared. He glanced around to ensure that no one else was around. Biting his lip a bit, curiosity inevitably got the better of him and stepped up to the garbage can, looking inside.

"It's not like Tuffnut went to great lengths to hide it, anyway, right?" he reasoned to himself as he easily found the little crumpled ball of paper and proceeded to unwrap it, checking over his shoulders once more before finally looking at the document. "This is… a career aptitude test?"

Huh. Hadn't they all taken these a couple of weeks ago? Why did Tuffnut still have one? His eyes scanned the sheet, not paying much attention to the various bubbled-in answers in the interest of preserving some semblance of privacy. Besides, it wouldn't have done him much good without having the question portion of the test handy, anyway.

Flipping the sheet over, however, revealed the written portion of the test, and Hiccup had to actively make sure he didn't start snooping by reading whatever Tuffnut had written down here. He lowered the sheet, looking around again and sighing somewhat apologetically. This definitely seemed like something personal, and he couldn't help but wonder at how Tuffnut had been acting prior to Hiccup's arrival. As if he had been working up the nerve to do something.

Quietly, Hiccup made his way back to the office and, after flattening the sheet out some, slipped it under the door.

.

* * *

.

"Ah, Hiccup, could set up the centerpiece for me?"

"Sure, dad."

The kitchen of the Haddock Household was probably busier than it had been in months at the moment, and Hiccup was rather thankful for that. It offered plenty of distraction from actual conversation between him and his father. Rather, Stoick seemed perfectly happy to be talking at length about what sort of food they'd be having, or about how glad he was to have a use for their over-large kitchen that didn't involve entertaining stuffy guests from the government.

He hadn't even commented on how early Hiccup had been out of the house this morning, a fact that the boy was immensely grateful for. Frankly, with Stoick's focus seeming to be locked on just preparing the house and filling the kitchen with amazing aromas (Hiccup would always be the first to admit that his dad was an amazing chef, something the Viking chief had passed down to his son), it made managing his own mood much easier. After all, he didn't have to think about the tail end of their last conversation, or about any questions Stoick might have about his personal life, or any of that. He could simply enjoy his father's company while the two cooked and talked only of the matters for the evening.

Hiccup reached into one of the cupboards above the sink, pulling down a rather ornate-looking helmet (an antique, his father had once assured him). It had been modified with a few prongs that would help it stand when placed upside down, like a bowl, and it would be serving as the centerpiece for their dinner this evening.

He placed the helmet carefully upon the center of the long dining table, tongue sticking out and eyes narrowing as he attempted to make sure the alignment was just perfect. "What are we putting in it, dad?" he called, raising his thumb and squinting at it against the positioning of the kitchen window, further assisting him in his goal of a perfectly centered helmet.

"Oh, I got us some fruit that should be in the bottom drawer in the fridge. Make it look fancy." Stoick answered, stirring a soup-like concoction that definitely contained shrimp, based on its scent.

Hiccup did as bidden, obtaining the fruit quickly and placing it gently in the helmet. He smiled, satisfied, at the arrangement. "Do you know what Gobber and Phlegma are bringing?"

Stoick chuckled, taking a moment to sniff appreciatively at his soup before answering. "Phlegma is bringing exactly what you might expect her to be. Gobber is bringing the bird."

"Bird?" Hiccup asked, eyebrows raised. They already had shrimp soup, several salmon that were frying on the stove, enough bread to feed a small army, and even a nice salad (purchased from the grocery store). Then of course, there'd be the pies (meat and confectionary) that Phlegma would be bringing, but now Gobber was bringing a bird too? "What kind of bird?"

"Turkey!" Stoick answered in a chipper fashion.

Hiccup laughed nervously. "You know there's only going to be eight of us, right?"

Stoick then eyed Hiccup incredulously. "Son, you know how Gobber and I eat. And Mr. North assures me that he's bringing his appetite."

Hiccup shrugged. It occurred to him that he clearly hadn't met Jack's father yet, so he had no way of knowing how much food he'd be eating. For that matter, he couldn't even be sure how much food Jack would eat. He was pretty thin, sure, but he certainly seemed like he had no trouble putting away Phlegma's meat pies yesterday, one after the other. "Fair enough."

"Oh, and could you run outside and check to see that the driveway's clear? It's been snowing again."

"Yeah, no problem." Hiccup answered, opening the sliding door of the kitchen and stepping out into the living room carefully. As anticipated, Toothless tried to nudge past him as soon as he saw the opportunity, but Hiccup was far too savvy to allow it, closing the sliding door behind him quickly. "Uh-uh, bud."

The cat glowered up at him, clearly miffed at being excluded. But the Haddocks knew better than to let the ravenous cat into the kitchen whenever a large meal was in the works. They'd learned that lesson the hard way, which was exactly why they now employed the use of the kitchen door, which was normally tucked into the wall.

"Hey, don't give me that look. I'd be happy to let you into the kitchen if you didn't always hop up on the counters and steal fish from the frying pan."

The Burmese meowed at him in reply, a sound that conveyed pride and perhaps a touch of entitlement.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you love it. I'll see if I can save you some after dinner, alright? Now please stop walking between my legs, buddy, I need to get outside." he told his furry companion with a laugh, doing his level best to not step on the cat as he made for the front door.

It hadn't been easy, what with Toothless's insistent interference, but he had managed to eventually open the door and step outside into the cold evening air, closing it behind him without catching any of Toothless in the door jam. Turning to face the driveway, he was relieved to see that the softly falling snow had thus far only given it a powdery dusting. Nothing serious yet.

He quickly grabbed the shovel that was leaned against the side of the garage, setting to the task of pushing the snow down the concrete and into the gutter, a task which was finished quickly thanks to the low density of it all. He set the shovel back against the garage, breathing into his hands as he prepared to grab the salt next. His attention was drawn away from this, though, with the sound of someone calling for him.

"Hey, Hiccup!"

Looking over his shoulder, he could see the blonde head of Astrid through the light cascade of winter as the girl jogged down the sidewalk toward his home, waving. "Oh, hey Astrid. You're a little early." he told the girl with a smile.

"Yeah, but I was bored and didn't feel like waiting around my house any longer." she replied easily as she stepped up the sidewalk, her jog slowing to a leisurely stroll. "Need any help with the driveway?"

"Please." he replied, opening the garage door and exposing the bag of saltmelt that was always on hand.

Astrid hoisted the heavy bag up with no difficulty, immediately setting to work on spreading it around the Haddock driveway as if it was nothing. Hiccup had long since gotten over the fact that he couldn't do the job nearly as effortlessly as she could, and thus didn't even blink at the display.

"So what are we having?" she asked conversationally as the salt mixture began to set to work dissolving away the bits of snow that made contact with it. "Smells like fish."

"Yup. Plus some shrimp, bread, other stuff. Gobber's apparently bringing a turkey over."

"Wow."

"I know."

"Almost seems like some kind of festive occasion, doesn't it?" she asked, shouldering the bag as she finished her task.

"Yeah, but we already had Thanksgiving at Gobber's a couple weeks ago, so it's almost excessive." Hiccup answered, snickering.

"We've been living with Vikings for 17 years, Hiccup. We should probably be used to this by now."

"Oi! Hiccup! Astrid! Are you two gonna stand around outside flapping your gums or are you going to get back in here and help set the table?"

The two looked up to see Stoick poking his head out the kitchen window, eyeing them impatiently.

The two laughed and made their way back inside, calling apologies over their shoulders. They wasted no further time in setting various plates, bowls, and utensils on the table, Hiccup straightening out the table cloth as he did so, always one for perfection. Stoick was busying himself with moving the fish and soup into table-safe serving dishes.

"Spent a little more time on the soup than I thought." he was saying, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Hiccup, set out the salad."

"Anything else I can do?" Astrid asked as Hiccup moved.

Stoick set the piping hot fish platter onto the table gently, taking a quick sniff in appreciation. "Just set out the bread basket. I'll get the drinks."

Hiccup was in the middle of meticulously organizing the salad for presentation, unable to repress his artistic streak, when the sound of a closing car door sounded from outside. He lifted his head, a dull panic in his chest as he rushed to finish his salad work and move it to the table.

Stoick surveyed the table, clearly feeling the same rush as Hiccup as he looked up and down to make sure everything was looking presentable. Entertaining guests that the man actually _liked_ was one of the rare occasions where he actually bothered to care for appearances. "Oh!" he exclaimed softly, quickly lighting the candles he had set on the table just as a knock sounded at the door.

Hiccup and Astrid both looked to Stoick, who gave the table one last look and nodded.

"Coming!" Hiccup called.

"Oi, make it quick will ye? We're freezin' out here." Phlegma called from outside.

"Aye would ye listen t'yourself. 'Ah'm coooold.' We're Vikings! Deal with it."

Hiccup chuckled at the sound of a smack and Gobber's muffled protests. He swung the door open to see the two of them standing on the porch, both carrying a rather large dish each. "Hey Gobber, hey Phlegma."

The woman nodded and smiled, stepping into the house and immediately making for the kitchen. "Are we the first here?" she asked.

"Not exactly; Astrid is in the kitchen."

"Oh, I dinna know Astrid would be here. Well I hope she brought her appetite!" The woman smiled, holding up her tin-covered dish as she shook some of the snowflakes from her coat, heading toward the kitchen.

Gobber stepped in after her, offering a pat on the shoulder to the boy (with his prosthetic spatula hand) and smiling. "Heccup." he added by way of greeting, hoisting his sizable dish in his good hand, the smell of baked Turkey rolling off of it in waves as he hobbled about. Hiccup chuckled at him.

"Hey, hold the door!" a voice suddenly called from outside just as Hiccup was closing the wooden barrier, causing him to halt and look outside. He smiled when he saw Jack waving at him and stepping up the driveway, though the boy's attention seemed to be captivated by the sight of Hiccup's house as he approached. Hiccup was fairly sure he saw him mouthing the word 'wow'.

"Jack, hey!" he called, surprised to see that he had arrived so soon. Jack snapped his gaze back down to Hiccup, prepared to answer before another voice cut him off.

"Jaaaack, wait up!"

Hiccup watched as the white-haired teen turned to face a young girl who was running up the driveway after him, bundled in a warm-looking coat and wearing a large grin to match the one her brother was shooting her. "Well, hurry up, slowpoke!"

"I was helping daddy!" she retorted, holding up a covered plate as if to demonstrate this.

Speaking of 'daddy', he wasn't far behind the girl, trudging through the snow in a pair of thick, black boots, a heavy-looking red coat billowing about him. Hiccup's eyes widened at the size of him. He didn't think other people got as large as his own father!

"Jack, listen to your sister. We approach our host as family." the man spoke reproachfully in a noticeable Russian accent, reminding Hiccup of what Jack had said the day prior.

"Well, come on then, guys, I'm starving here!"

"Jack you're always hungry!" the girl said, shoving her brother's leg.

"Well I'd be less hungry if North hadn't eaten my meat pies." he shot back, giving the larger man a grumpy look.

He merely laughed, a jolly sound that had Hiccup gaping further. A moment later the three of them had arrived at the doorstep, the little girl smiling up at Hiccup, and the large man smiling down.

"May we come in?" he asked politely.

Hiccup blinked a couple of times and coughed. "Y-yeah, of course, come right in." he urged, stepping out of the doorway to make space.

The three did as instructed, bustling their way inside just as Stoick was stepping out into the living room to find out what the commotion was. "Ah, Nicholas! Welcome to my home!" he greeted, offering his hand to the large man who was dressed all in red.

North grinned brightly at the man, taking his hand and giving it a firm shake. "Stoick, good to be seeing you again!" he said before grabbing the man's shoulders and swiftly planting a kiss on both of his cheeks, taking him by surprise and causing riotous laughter from Phlegma, who stepped out of the kitchen with Gobber at that moment.

Astrid stepped out of the kitchen now as well, holding Toothless in her arms and giving him what was probably a scolding look before she caught sight of North, eyes widening in much the same manner as Hiccup's. Jack smiled and waved at her.

"Yes, well!" Stoick replied, coughing somewhat awkwardly (North seemed to pay it no mind). "Hiccup, this is our new Station Manager, Nicholas North. Nicholas, this is my son Hiccup." The man spoke as he stepped over to his son, setting a heavy hand down on his shoulder.

"Hello, sir." Hiccup said, waving. "Nice to meet you. This is Astrid, by the way." He added, gesturing to the girl whom had stepped over to him, setting Toothless down.

"They're my friends." Jack stated simply by way of explanation to his family.

At this, North's eyes brightened and he stepped forward, unexpectedly scooping the two into a titanic bear hug. "_Chudesnyy_!" he cried, smothering the two in his coat.

"Wha-what's happening?" Hiccup barely managed to ask, his voice sounding breathless and strained.

"Don't fight it." Jack warned, laughing at the two's expense, his sister joining him.

When the man finally set the two down, he gave them a warm, jovial smile. "Friends of Jack, friends of mine! Good to meet you!"

The other adults in the room joined in the laughter, seemingly finding the looks on Hiccup and Astrid's faces at that moment to be priceless, while the both of them were simply trying to catch their breath. "Well!" Stoick cut in, gesturing a hand at his two friends. "You've met Gobber already, and that's Phlegma, an employee at his restaurant, and a family friend."

North gave them both his winning smile, shaking Gobber's good hand and placing a kiss upon Phlegma's when she offered it (an action that caused the woman to blush a shade of scarlet as she batted North on the shoulder, saying things like 'Oh, stop!')

"Well, now I believe it is my turn for introductions!" The jolly man clapped his hands together, gesturing at his children. "This is Jackson, and this is his sister Mary. My children!"

The two waved at those they had yet to meet, Mary offering a sweet smile and a 'How do you do!'

Stoick acknowledged them both and nodded at the crowd afterward. "Well, standing around out here isn't going to satisfy our appetites. Kitchen is right through here!" And with that announcement came the exodus of four large, burly individuals who quickly followed their host's cue and began to chat animatedly with one another.

The younger four had hung back a moment, Jack double checking to see if Astrid and Hiccup were alright, noting the shocked looks they both still wore. "Hey, you two still kicking?" he asked, Mary giggling beside him. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Of Christmas Present." Astrid stated, blinking.

Hiccup looked at the two siblings, giving them a serious look. "Jack. Be honest with me here. Is your dad Santa Clause?"

Mary buried her face in her hands to stifle her giggles, while Jack laughed openly and unashamedly at the pair. "Oh my g- Bahahaha! It never gets old, it really doesn't!"

Astrid gave him an incredulous expression, flailing her arms out to the side. "Well come on! He's huge, like, as big as Hiccup's dad, huge! And jolly! And he's wearing all red, and has the flowing white beard, and I think I even saw a twinkle in his eye, I am not even kidding."

Hiccup could only nod and point at Astrid, as if to say 'Yeah, what she said.'

Mary continued to giggle, but was now looking side to side, a mischievous smile on her face. "I actually think so!" she said, nodding. "He sometimes goes to work at malls and stuff around Christmas, and says he's being one of Santa's helpers. But _I _think he _is_ Santa, and he's just keeping it secret!"

Jack shared a fond smile for the girl with the other two, ruffling her hair. "Well if you say so, kiddo, then it must be true."

Astrid smiled as well, kneeling down to Mary's height. "That makes a lot of sense. Santa can't just go around telling people who he is, right? You sure are lucky to have him for your dad."

Mary grinned at the older girl, bouncing on her feet. "I know! It's so cool!"

"I'll bet! Now come on, we don't want to keep them waiting, and there's a big dinner waiting for us!"

Mary nodded again, before glancing at Jack, then at Astrid again, before seeming to make up her mind. "Can I sit next to you…?" she asked, hesitantly.

Astrid blinked for a moment before blushing lightly, giving the girl her warmest smile. "Of course you can." She stood then and stepped over to the kitchen door, sliding it open. "Come on, you two." she called to Hiccup and Jack, whom had been distracted watching the little exchange between the girls with interest.

"Right, right." Hiccup answered, nodding at Jack as they followed after them. He kept a wary eye out for Toothless, who seemed to have gone into hiding, as they approached the door, prepared to halt the feline's attempts at kitchen infiltration.

Assuming he hadn't already gotten back in when Astrid had set him down earlier…

.

* * *

.

Dinner was, thus far, proving to be an incredibly boisterous affair, and Jack found that his cup was overflowing. He could hardly believe his eyes at the freakin' _feast_ that waited for him when he had taken his seat at the table next to Hiccup, mouthwatering at the aroma of the best damn fish he'd ever smelt, the enticing fragrance of shrimp, and the familiar scent of the meat pies he had had such a fleeting tryst with thus far.

Not to mention the cookies he and his family had brought, the redolent odor of which seemed to be enticing Hiccup as well (the brunette hadn't taken his eyes off of them the entire meal), the _amazing _turkey Gobber had brought over (how did one even get a bird this moist?) and the steaming Apple Pie that sat next to the cookies, apparently of Phlegma's making as well.

Jack had been eyeing that one, over the last half hour, hoping he could somehow find a way to purloin a slice without anyone noticing. As if that were at all possible.

"And Jack, how are you enjoying the school so far?"

Stoick's question had snapped the boy out of his tantalizing thoughts, causing him to notice that the attention of the table was now turned upon him, and the strange way he had his fork half extended toward the pie. He withdrew it quickly. "Oh, it's great. I like indoor schools; the last one I went to was a sort of outdoor deal. But I don't mind my classes, and some of the teachers are pretty fun. Plus I kinda like the layout I guess?"

"Ah, well that's fine." Phlegma stated, nodding as she helped herself to another serving of the shrimp soup. "Good to know you're adjustin' so well. What of you, Mary?"

Mary had a mouthful of turkey breast as she was called upon, glancing up at the imposing woman (only slightly mystified) and smiling after she swallowed. "I like my school a lot! I'm making a lot of new friends, and they have a lot of new games I've never played before."

"Well isn't that grand." Phlegma responded with a smile.

"My little Mary is always eager for new things!" North added, looking at the young girl with pride.

Hiccup resisted the urge to chuckle nervously, wondering if the sort of 'games' that the young kids in this town got up to might accidentally break Mary. Young Vikings tended to be very physical, after all. He had the memories of bruises to prove it.

As the adults seemed to go back into conversation regarding their respective fields of work (filling the table with booming laughs that honestly alleviated worries of any other conversations being overheard), Hiccup turned to his right and offered a conversational smile to Jack, who was once again eyeing the pie.

"You're not even full yet, are you?" he asked, amusement clear on his face.

Jack met his gaze with a forlorn expression. "No, that's actually the worst part. I am. I am so full. You don't even know how full I am. But I just…" he gazed longingly at his plate, full of half-eaten food, and then at the still-waiting deserts. "I don't _want_ to be, Hiccup. I need more. But I just can't make room for it!"

Mary giggled at her brother from across the table, making oinking noises.

"That's really unattractive, Mary." Jack said to her.

"Don't care." she replied, earning a giggle from Astrid. The older girl leaned over and whispered something to Mary then, something that caused the girl to giggle riotously as she pointed at Jack.

"H-hey! What did you say to her?"

"Nothing at all." Astrid replied coolly, sipping her drink.

"It's a secret." Mary added.

Hiccup quirked his right brow inquisitively at his friend, finding it oddly entertaining how attached she seemed to have been getting to the little girl over the course of their meal. His expression clearly read: 'Something you'd like to share?'

Jack, meanwhile, was shaking his head and theatrically bemoaning his situation. "I can't believe this! My sister, my own flesh and blood, conspiring against me!" he waved his fork around, currently impaling a piece of shrimp, for dramatic effect. "The wounds on my heart may never heal, Mary."

Hiccup laughed at him. "Drama queen."

"Hiccup, no! Not you too!"

Now it was Mary's turn to lean over to Astrid, tugging on her shirt to get her to lean down while Mary whispered into her ear.

Astrid giggled. "Definitely."

"Hey come on!" Jack was practically whining now, pointing his fork accusingly at the girls. "I want you to stop that, it's not fair."

Mary stuck her tongue out at him.

Hiccup was about to interject as well, fully intending to kick Jack while he was down, until North spoke up from his spot near the head of the table.

"Well! I am ready for desert! Who else?" he asked, looking around.

There were calls of agreement from Gobber and Phlegma, quiet affirmations from Hiccup and Astrid, and loud cheers from Jack and Mary. Seeing this, Stoick released his low rumble of a laugh. "Desert it is then!"

Jack wouldn't be able to tell anyone who asked how he managed to put away two slices of pie and four cookies.

.

* * *

.

In the aftermath of mass consumption, Stoick the Vast had never felt more, well, vast. Phlegma's ferocity seemed to have fizzled in light of the full belly she was enjoying. Gobber had released a mighty belch (much to Phlegma's chagrin). And Nicholas St. North felt that he had eaten so much, it could hardly be considered saintly. They each reclined in their seats, enjoying the satisfaction that came from a full stomach.

"Can we go outside?" Mary asked from her end of the table, having not eaten nearly enough to be feeling the same effects.

Stoick glanced over at North. "They can feel free to use the backyard, if they like."

North smiled and nodded at his daughter. "Then if you wish to go outside, go, but you must have someone with you."

Mary smiled brightly. "Thank you!" she then quickly turned to Astrid. "Will you come with me?"

Astrid stood from the table, pulling Mary's chair out. "What are we waiting for?"

"Hey, don't go anywhere without me now." Jack added as he also made to stand up, breathing out almost woozily at the weight in his stomach.

Hiccup snickered and stood as well. "I guess I might as well come with." He picked up his plate, still with a sizable piece of fish on it, and stepped over to the kitchen counter, setting the dish there. "Dad, this fish is for Toothless. Don't throw it out, alright?"

Stoick nodded without turning around. "Sure thing, son."

Finding the answer satisfactory, the boy approached his waiting friends and exited the kitchen space, heading down the hall to the back door. Jack seemed interested in taking in the details as he went, seeming to want to linger so that he could look around more, but maintained pace with the group.

"And now, ladies and gentlem- well, ladies and Jack." Hiccup began, sending a playful smirk at Jack, who scowled at the remark. "I give you: the Haddock back yard." he stated grandly, throwing the back door open as if it were the most impressive thing in the world. Mary seemed to find it funny.

She ran out onto the wooden back patio, smiling at the mounds of snow that buried unseen grasses and pulling Astrid along with her as she charged into the white expanse. "Astrid, come make a snowman with me!"

"Alright, alright, stop pulling though!" Astrid replied playfully, following after the exuberant girl.

Hiccup grinned at them and leaned against the wooden banister of the patio, content in simply watching. It was only a moment before Jack stepped up beside him, hands in his pockets as he nudged his shoulder against the green-eyed boy's. He seemed to enjoy doing that.

"Don't feel like joining your sister out there, Frosty?" Hiccup asked.

Jack responded with a single, small bark of a laugh. "You and these nicknames. Where do you keep pulling these from?"

"It's a gift." Hiccup replied easily, pulling his arms a little closer to him on the banister to fight against the cold. At least it had stopped snowing.

"Yeah, well," Jack continued, looking out at the two girls as they laughed together, rolling a ball of snow into larger magnitudes. "I think I'll just let them enjoy themselves. Mary seems to have taken a real shine to Astrid."

Hiccup glanced over at his companion, interest piqued at the soft tone of voice Jack was speaking in. It was… something tender, something he hadn't heard from him yet. Jack's expression matched his voice, as well. His eyes were soft, almost sad, eyebrows slanted upward, and he wore a smile radiating with warmth. Hiccup had no words to describe how much he liked seeing that expression on the other boy's face. And he chose not to acknowledge how it felt like the contents of his stomach had dropped at the sight of it, his face warming.

"S-sounds, ah," crap, did his voice seriously just break a little? He coughed to hide it, turning away. "Sounds like you're pretty happy about that."

Jack laughed at himself, embarrassed, and pulled one hand from his pocket to rub at his neck. "Yeah, well. I've always been there for her, you know? She means a lot to me. I'm just happy to see that she's happy."

Hiccup found the sentimentality incredibly endearing, and as he watched the girls rolling up a second large snowball, preparing it to be the Snowman's midsection, he found himself remembering that Astrid had once mentioned wanting a little sister. Or hell, even a little brother. But she was an only child. And that was part of her problem.

Still, that didn't seem important right now. What was important now was the smile she had on her face. "I know the feeling." Hiccup responded warmly. "It makes me happy to see Astrid happy, too."

Jack looked over at him, eyebrows creased curiously. "So, hey, random question but… Do you…?" he made a vague gesture with his hand before jerking his head in Astrid's direction. "…her?"

Hiccup caught on immediately. "Oh, what? No, no no. She and I are just friends, trust me, and neither of us wants that to change."

Jack laughed nervously, nodding quickly. "Okay, no, that's cool, I was just… Just, ah, curious…"

Hiccup cleared his throat, his face heating up again at the inquiry. Didn't matter how often he had the question asked of him by someone, it never stopped being awkward. Though, the fact that it had been Jack to ask about it seemed to make it worse for some reason?

"Well, anyway," Jack spoke up, brushing the matter aside. "I'm really glad to see them getting along. Really gives me a lot of appreciation for Astrid, you know, seeing her having so much fun with my sister."

A comfortable silence fell between the two, both watching the girls laughing at something Mary had said as they stabbed sticks into the Snowman's midsection. Astrid was saying something about finding buttons, but her voice was too distant and quiet to pick up the exact details.

"Big house, by the way." Jack said with a chuckle.

Hiccup looked up from his leaned posture, nodding. "Yep."

"Are you a spoiled little rich boy, Hiccup?" he asked teasingly.

"Come on, hardly." Hiccup replied, shaking his head at the notion. "We'd honestly live in a pretty small house if my dad had his way. But this is "The Chief's" house. It has to look impressive to wow the state senators when they come for a visit. You'll find, Jack, that high and mighty government officials don't tend to feel very swayed by a mayor who lives in a humble little "shack", as they'd probably call anything with less than three bedrooms."

"Is that right?"

"Sadly so. If you have an important position, you've gotta look the part, since only a handful of people tend not to care about the superficial things. And Berk already avoids doing things by the book enough as it is. So, in the interest of staying favorable with bureaucrats and the like, we have this big house we don't need, that big kitchen that is only ever useful for social occasions, and two additional bedrooms that see absolutely no use. Not to mention all the interior decoration."

"Well, when you put it that way, yeah, it sounds pretty unnecessary." Jack responded with an airy laugh turning to lean his backside against the wooden railing while he stared at the sky. "But I mean, it's still a nice house. I like it. And as nice as it looks, it doesn't exactly seem _braggy_, you know?"

Hiccup stood straight at that, stretching languidly. "Yeah, me and my dad kind of agreed that we should try to be as subdued with it as possible, so long as we had to have it."

"Keeping your feet on the ground. I like that." The other teen nodded. "So, haha, not just a big house, but a big dad, huh?"

Hiccup snorted. "I guess?"

Jack elbowed the other boy lightly, smirking. "Apple fell pretty far from the tree, huh?"

"Pft, yeah, so what, your dad's pretty huge too."

"Yeah, but I was adopted. What's your excuse?"

Well Hiccup had walked right into that. He sent his companion an insincere glower. "I'm due for this big growth spurt that's supposed to hit when I turn twenty. Haven't you heard of those?"

"Oooh, you mean the imaginary one?"

"Yes, Jack, the imaginary one. I'll get at least five feet taller, watch."

"Well that'd certainly be something. You'd be bigger than everyone!"

"No, I'd just be taller. See, my limbs would compensate by getting even thinner, so I'd kind of be like a stick figure."

"That sounds unpleasant."

"These are truly the glory days of my youth."

"Yep, you're gonna be a bizarrely misshapen monster pretty soon."

The two teens were shaking quietly, both intent on not being the first to crack up. But Jack noted how the freckles that dusted the shorter boy's features scrunched up a bit to indicate his restrained humor, and that did it for him, his self-control breaking as he started to giggle silently. Hiccup followed suit and pretty soon the both of them had escalated into a full fit of laughter.

It had started sprinkling bits of snow again, and Hiccup slowly began to get his laughter under control thanks to the sobering feeling of cool flakes melting against his skin. He turned to Jack and felt his breath catch in his throat a little at how peaceful the other boy looked, his own laughter subsiding, as he stared up at the dancing little stars softly, the flakes catching in the mild spikes that stuck off from his disheveled head of hair. White on white. And vivid blue eyes to compliment that, eyes which turned to meet Hiccup's gaze.

A moment passed this way, eyes glued to one another while the snow paraded around them. Their laughter had faded into silence, practically a distant memory.

"Jack! Look!"

Jack's eyes darted away and he almost tripped and fell with how quickly he seemed to have moved, adjusting his position so that he could look at his sister. In the aftermath of the broken moment, Hiccup could feel his heart thundering in his chest, foreign and unsettling, and he became aware of how close the two had been just now.

Jack looked out at a nearly completed snowman, sticks for arms and little bits of rock for buttons. All it was missing was a face. "Now that's what I call an almost snowman!" he called. "You guys did that pretty quickly!"

Astrid offered a coy smile in response, calling back. "I've had a lot of time to perfect the technique."

"Yeah, Astrid is super good at this!"

Jack whooped his appreciation, the sound echoing in the night and the wood beyond. "Well it shows! But hey, it's starting to snow. Maybe we should head back inside?"

"But our snowman isn't done yet!" Mary objected, pouting at her brother.

Hiccup chortled at Jack's miffed expression, amused by the worry he was displaying. "Let her be, Jack, she's with Astrid. She'll be fine."

Jack's pout was almost a reflection of his sister's, but she didn't see it. She chose to ignore him, going back to looking for more pebbles with Astrid to complete their snowy friend. "Alright." the teen conceded. "But hey, do you think you can show me where the bathroom is? I gotta use it."

Hiccup snickered, nodding. "Yeah sure. Hey Astrid!" he called.

"Yeah?" she looked up from her kneeling position, a few stones in her hand.

"I'm gonna show Jack where the bathroom is, make sure and get Mary inside when you guys are done, alright?"

"Sure thing!" she answered with a casual wave.

"Alright, come on." Hiccup instructed of his friend, guiding him back inside. The two shook off the snowflakes that had accumulated on their clothes and the freckled boy led the other down the hall and up the adjacent staircase, arriving onto the second floor. He did not miss the way his companion looked around, trying to take in every detail as he went. Remembering Jack's earlier promises to 'mess with his house', he decided he'd best hurry the tour along.

"Right here." he instructed, arriving at an open door in the middle of the hall. "So… yep. Go ahead and get to it." he added awkwardly.

Jack snorted. "I'll do that, thanks." he said before flicking the light on and closing the bathroom door behind him.

With his friend occupied for the moment, Hiccup decided he'd see if he could find Toothless. The cat seemed to have vanished in the midst of the commotion in the living room a while back, and as he wasn't present in the kitchen, Hiccup could only assume he was in his room.

He paced his way down the hall from the bathroom toward his bedroom, pushing the door open and flipping the light switch. "Hey Toooooooothleeeeess." he called, stepping into the room and glancing around. He spotted the feline rather quickly, as he was currently perched on his windowsill, though behind the curtains.

The Burmese hopped down and meowed in greeting, an expectant look in his eyes.

Hiccup stooped down to scratch him behind his ears. "Sorry bud, didn't bring the fish with me, but it's waiting in the kitchen. You'll get it, don't worry."

Pleased with the ear scratching, Toothless decided that he would allow the transgression of not bringing him any food to consume. For now.

"Knock, knock." Jack's voice sounded from behind the boy and his cat, causing the brunette to swiftly stand and turn just in time to see Jack stepping casually into his room as if he had the right. "Huh, nice room. Simple, cozy."

Hiccup glared. "Wow so just invite yourself in, okay."

"Yeah, that's my usual stance."

"Jack there is such a thing as being too forward."

"Well you go ahead and let me know when I hit that point."

"Okay, how about right now?"

"Oh, really?" Jack asked, feigning surprise as he looked at a few models Hiccup had sitting on a shelf. "Well color me shocked. Whoa, you have an adjoining bathroom? Lucky."

Hiccup's response was a resigned sigh. He could tell that Jack had no intention of leaving the room at the moment. "Well. As long as you're here, welcome, this is my room."

"It's cool." Jack commented, taking in the neat-looking space. Well, other than the messy bed, with its sheets tossed everywhere. Everything else seemed pretty organized though. Then he spotted the cat. "Whooooa, there he is."

Toothless was presently sitting back on his haunches, tail swishing back and forth as he observed the stranger in his human's room.

"I saw Astrid carrying that guy earlier, but he disappeared before I could get a good look at him. I think you said his name is Toothless, right? Is he friendly?" Jacked asked, excited, as he dropped down and tentatively reached for the cat.

Toothless pulled his face away from the incoming hand, as if regarding it with disdain.

Hiccup grinned. "Usually. But I guess not right now."

"Aww, come on kitty, don't be like that."

Toothless pinned his ears back at that, eyes narrowing as he dashed away, reclaiming his perch on the windowsill.

"He doesn't like being called 'kitty'." Hiccup informed smugly.

Jack stuck out his lower lip. "Well damn. He's a big guy, isn't he?" His eyes took in the noticeably large shape the cat made against Hiccup's curtain, more apparent now that he was at eye level.

"Yeah, he is. I have my suspicions that he has some wildcat in him."

"I wouldn't be surprised!"

The two shared a small laugh, and then things went quiet. Jack started rocking back and forth on his heels, hands buried almost forcefully in his pockets, and Hiccup was only now really letting it sink in that some strange new guy was standing in his room with him. Alone. And with an alarming sense of clarity, his thoughts started to wander into previously untraveled territories, questioning, attempting to connect the dots in his scattered, distracted mind.

But then Jack spoke up again and cut that process off. "So, Hiccup, I was actually wondering…" he started, seeming incredibly shy about whatever he was about to ask. In this light, with his face turned away somewhat vulnerably, Hiccup was able to notice the faintest smattering of freckles that dotted his pale skin, freckles that had previously escaped his notice, and even a small black one that sat just at the corner of his left eye. Hiccup was consciously aware that he was taking careful note of close details that could only really be seen with a great degree of scrutiny.

He swallowed. "Yeah…?"

"Do you think I could have your phone number? You know, to text and stuff, keep in touch when things like dinner plans come up so that we don't have to wait till we see each other at school to talk about it, haha." He was nervous, that much was very clear, and he pulled one of his hands from his pocket then and looked like he was about ready to bring his thumb to his mouth to chew on the nail.

"Yeah, I don't see why not." Hiccup answered, proud that he had kept his voice steady.

The reply stopped Jack in the midst of his arm's motion, and he lowered the hand (much to Hiccup's silent relief; seeing people bite their nails always bothered him for some reason). "Oh, well, awesome." he replied, still a bit bashful as he pulled his phone from his pocket with his other hand.

Hiccup followed suit, and the two rattled off their respective phone numbers to one another, punching in what the other told them, before they both pocketed the devices and resumed standing around.

Awkwardly.

"Well, ah, we should probably-"

"Yeah, downstairs…"

"Downstairs, yeah."

"People waiting." Jack smirked and turned to walk out of the room, a seeming bounce in his step as he went. Hiccup stared after him and exhaled an amused little sigh, following him out and flicking off the lights.

.

* * *

.

The two had returned to the back porch to find that Astrid and Mary had still not come back inside, Mary apparently having stubbornly refused to do so until Jack saw the completed labors she and Astrid had achieved.

"Yep, gotta hand it to you, kiddo, this is a mighty fine snowman." Jack praised the girl as he stood in front of the thing, finding no flaws in the work of art. "You and Astrid did a great job. Now come on, let's head back in."

"No!" Mary replied cheekily, taking a few steps away from Jack and sending him a challenging look. "You're gonna have to make me."

Jack met her challenge with a roguish smile, poising himself to give chase. "You sure you wanna do that?"

She merely giggled in response, moving her feet in the snow fractions of an inch at a time. Then Jack lunged and she took off running, screaming as he gave chase.

Astrid stood next to Hiccup on the porch, smiling at the siblings for a moment before redirecting her attention. "So you two were gone for a while."

Hiccup's cheeks reddened. "Yeah, well, he ended up wanting a tour of my room."

Blonde brows shot skyward. "Oh _really_ now?"

"Yes. As in he barged into my room after he was done using the bathroom and wouldn't leave until he'd looked around."

"Yeah, and then what happened?"

"I don't like your tone of voice, Astrid."

"You rarely do. Now come on, spill."

Hiccup's mind revisited the train of thought he had begun back there, in his room, with Jack, and he was feeling an ever-growing sense of dread and embarrassment as his mind danced circles around the idea that he refused to touch firmly down upon, the feeling that he refused to name. "Nothing. Seriously."

"You're being dishonest."

"And you're prying." he hissed back, doing his best to keep his voice from rising. He saw Jack perform a flying tackle, driving himself and Mary into the snow amidst twin echoes of laughter.

"Hiccup I'm not going to let this drop."

"Look, he asked for my phone number, why is that such a big deal!?" he finally relented, glaring daggers at the girl.

"Do you really need me to spell it out for you, Hiccup? Are you seriously going to make me say it?"

The back door suddenly opened wide, and there was Stoick, stepping out onto the porch with North. Hiccup couldn't have been more thankful for the interruption.

"Jack! Mary! Come now, it is time to go!" the jolly man called.

Mary replied with an audible "Awwwwww" as she and Jack got up and out of the snow, wiping the wet substance off of themselves and shivering.

North pushed his brows together. "_Bozhe moi_, you two are soaked!" he scolded the two, hands fixed upon his hips.

They answered with apologetic smiles, and Mary began jumping up and down excitedly. "But look at our snowman! Me and Astrid made it!"

North did as bidden, looking up at the sculpture of snow, and his expression lightened. He scooped the little girl into his arms and nestled her close, clearly unable to stay upset with her. "Is beautiful, Mary, great job!"

Stoick approached Hiccup while the family talked, nodding at him. "Gobber and Phlegma are heading out as well. You ought to go and thank them for the food."

Hiccup nodded. "Right, sure thing." And he wasted no time in jogging inside, seeing the two as they gathered up their coats and empty dishes that they had brought. "Hey guys! Thanks for coming, the food was amazing. I don't think I'll need to eat again for a while." he said jovially, patting his belly in appreciation.

"Oh now don't let me find out you're skippin' meals just because of that." Phlegma warned, wagging a finger at him.

"Whaaat? No way, wouldn't dream of it." he reassured, his voice rife with a very subtle edge of playfulness. He then turned to Gobber, giving him a friendly nod. "Gobber."

The man returned the gesture, giving his spatula hand a once over as if to check it for lingering food residue – he had used it rather liberally that night to help serve out the food. "You take care now, Heccup."

Footsteps bounded the hallway behind, signaling the return of everyone else to the living room. North cheerily bid his own farewells to the duo as they took their leave, making a few ingratiating remarks towards Phlegma (who seemed rather taken with the man's charm), before proceeding to offer Stoick his thanks for the hospitality.

"Well, your first shipment of busy work starts first thing tomorrow." Stoick assured good-naturedly. "Wanted to make sure you'd be going into it on a full stomach."

"Your kindness is much appreciated, my friend."

The man then offered his final farewells and made his exit, carrying his daughter with him. Jack followed him out, turning to toss a warm grin and a wave at Hiccup and Astrid before making his own departure. The sounds of rumbling engines signaled the leave of the dinner guests, and Hiccup released a breath while Stoick looked down at Astrid.

"Do you need a ride home, Astrid?"

"That would be really appreciated, sir, thank you." she replied.

"Don't mention it. Hiccup, I'm going to take her home. Phlegma cleaned up most of the kitchen, but could you handle the dishes in the sink while I'm gone?"

The boy nodded at his father, offering Astrid an easy wave. "Yeah, no problem."

"Good."

They were gone without too much delay, leaving Hiccup with the house to himself. He strolled into the kitchen, noting that his dad had certainly been telling the truth – the kitchen was practically spotless. Bless that woman's heart. The only dishes remaining in the sink were the plates the party had dined upon, as well as the utensils. Those would be easy enough to scrub by hand, no need to get the dishwasher involved.

Noting the plate of leftover fish that remained on the counter, he smiled to himself. "Toothless!" he called loudly. "Dinner!"

Even from the kitchen he could hear the cat's answer, and the patter of paws around the corner as Toothless came darting into the kitchen, leaping onto the counter and feasting without a moment's hesitation.

.

* * *

.

Dishes handled. Toothless fed. Kitchen clean. Evening done with.

Hiccup reclined on his bed, feeling a little exhausted, though he imagined that part of that was because of the food baby he was pretty sure he was now carrying. And to think, it wouldn't be too much longer before another big feast like that one would take place – his father did always host expansive dinners for Christmas.

"Toothless I feel like I'm forgetting something." He spoke out loud to his feline companion, petting him absently. Said feline was currently nestled up against Hiccup's side, purring softly. "Oooooh, that's right." Hiccup nodded to himself. "I never gave dad that thing that I was supposed to give him."

He glanced over at his book bag, hanging by his bedroom door, eyeing the pocket that he had tucked the envelope into. He was still perplexed regarding what his Uncle Spitelout could have wanted to give to Stoick, and was more curious still about the fact that it obviously wasn't important enough to give to him directly.

"Delivering things through their kids… That's a little immature, isn't it?" he asked of no one. "I'll just give it to him tomorrow morning. No point in getting worked up over it if it's clearly not all that important, right Buddy?"

Toothless's only answer was a soft sound, something between a meow and a whine.

The boy looked to his nightstand then, restlessly eyeing his phone. The phone that he only now realized he hadn't even looked at since that little moment with Jack earlier. He gulped. Oh boy, his brain was moving again, guiding him once more down a path he wasn't heavily interested in facing. With unsteady hands he grabbed the device, flipping it open to see that he had two unread text messages. The first was from Astrid.

'_Hiccup if you seriously still havent figured out why Im so interested in what you and Jack have been doing then Im really disappointed in you. Youre more dense than I thought."_

Hiccup groaned. No, Astrid, he knew. He knew exactly what she was getting at. It may have taken a while, but he certainly did. He just didn't want to admit that he knew. Not to her and not to himself. He didn't want to admit what was starting to feel like the most obvious thing in the world to him. He looked at his second text. This one from Jack.

'_Hey there hic! Just testing out the number and all thought id say hi! Dinner was awesome btw. :D'_

Hiccup very slowly sat up in his bed, eyes wide as he stared down at the text message on the screen. Against his will, his brain finally clicked the final piece of the puzzle into place. The completed puzzle was hardly what he would call a surprise, and yet being forced to look at it still left him nervous beyond all reason.

He, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, was crushing hard on Jackson Overland.

Shit.

.

* * *

.

Across town, Jack sat down on his bed, frowning at his phone as if it had just punched him in the face. He was about to shove it aside and roll over into his pillow, until the screen lit up and he received a cheery little chime that notified him of a new message.

He opened it up.

'_Hey Jack. Number works just fine. Glad you enjoyed dinner! See you at the game tomorrow. Remember not to be late, or Mr. Mulch will let you have it, haha.'_

Jack grinned at the message, shutting the screen down a moment later. He sighed. His eyes searched his darkened room for the familiar crook, still in the same place he had left it yesterday. It leaned silently against the wall, bathed in pale moonlight that illuminated the wooden shaft. Then he looked back down at his phone. His eyes repeated the process a few more times, looking back and forth between the phone and the crook.

Setting the device aside, he curled up beneath his bed sheets, feeling incredibly conflicted as he attempted to get some sleep.

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Welp, that happened.**

**As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated. They keep the flames of my heart ignited, that I might survive the bitter frost of this unforgiving winter. **

_**Très froid… Très froid…**_


	5. Background Sketch

**Hey guys, sorry about the delay on this one. It was supposed to be up yesterday, latest, but eh. The weekend kinda threw some junk at me. Anyway, it's here now, and I am more or less okay with it. So I hope you all enjoy.**

**Thank you again to all my reviewers who give this story their attention, and everybody who has it on alert and whatnot. You're all pretty awesome bros.**

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* * *

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**Chapter 5**

**Background Sketch**

**.**

_He sat alone. For all he knew, there was no one around for miles, and for all he cared, that was perfectly fine. It wasn't as though he wanted to be seen anyway. Not like this. Not huddled up into himself, half-buried in a pile of snow as he released sob after broken sob, each hot tear that stained his cheeks doing very little to combat the cold. Quite to the contrary, winter's icy grasp was only invited in by the display. Every breath lost by the nine-year-old's cries was a breath of frost that crept into his lungs. Every tear was but a plaything for winter to freeze._

_Hiccup may have been but a child, but he knew full well that he could freeze to death out here. And why shouldn't he? He was alone. None of the other kids liked him. He had no friends. His uncle hated him. His cousin hated him. His father couldn't even look at him anymore. And his mother…_

"_Mommy…" he sobbed again, sniffing and gasping as a fresh wave of sorrow spilled from him. His mother was gone. It had already been three days, and yet the knowledge carved at his heart. The hurt wouldn't disappear, no matter how hard he tried to make it go away. Because it was all his fault. He should just keep sitting here and freeze and go to sleep. Go to sleep and never wake up and maybe then he'd dream in that eternal slumber, dream that he was with his mother._

_His eyes were growing heavy. It would be just like a nap, wouldn't it? Just like nap time…_

_Another cry sounded in the forest. It was distinct, and high, and mournful, but Hiccup knew he hadn't made it himself. He heard it again, and again, and it was hard to hear because the wind was getting so loud and the snow was getting so heavy, but the tiny cry kept on trying, as if desperate to reach him._

_The child opened his heavy eyes, and feeling the compulsion to seek this cry, he stood to his feet. Immediately he fell to the ground. His body didn't seem to want to listen to him. He couldn't feel what his legs were doing anymore. He thought very hard about this, searching his young mind for a reasonable explanation for why this was happening. Then he heard that cry again and he tried once more. Tiny fingers grabbed ahold of a large tree stump, pulling and heaving his small body upward until he was standing on his feet. He knew that he was standing, because he could see that himself, but he simply could not understand why he couldn't feel it._

_He took an unsteady step and almost fell again, but he managed to catch himself. His legs were listening to him again, but it was almost like they were having a hard time hearing him. He told them to move but they only did so a second later. He had to watch them, as if he was Snotlout and he was telling the other kids at the park what to do, just to make sure they'd do it. His legs obeyed, but it was like he was no longer in control, and if he stopped looking at his feet while he took each careful step, he knew he would fall once more._

_The crying was getting louder, and Hiccup was finding that it was very difficult to pay attention to that while also watching his feet that he couldn't feel. But something inside of him urged him to press on, like a little voice telling him that he couldn't give up. Not yet. Suddenly, while leaning against a large, snowy mound of land, holding himself up, he could hear it again, and it sounded very close._

"_I'm coming…" he called weakly, carefully moving with his tiny hands against the mound. He was surprised to find that his hand fell right through it after a few steps, seeking purchase upon empty space. After the shock wore off, he blinked several times and pushed in with his other hand, and then his head, forcing his face past the snow that blanketed the hole he had found._

_It was a tunnel. And the loud, loud cries were resounding through it. He tried to step through, but he quickly lost his numb footing and tripped, tumbling down the tunnel and into in an open clearing. He started crying again. Everything hurt and he didn't even know what he was doing. But then when he gasped, taking in a deep breath to subdue the pain, his tear-soaked eyes saw a black shape, huddling in the snow and crying its little heart out as loudly as he was._

_Without thinking, he moved toward it as fast as he was able, pulling himself along in an infant's crawl as his legs just refused to cooperate any further. It was a tiny black kitten. It looked at him with wide, terrified eyes, still crying as he approached but not moving. The green eyes of a child met the eyes of the feline desperately, and Hiccup reached out slowly to touch the creature's face. The kitten's cries stopped as he made contact, and it started to pull itself closer to him. He could see now that it could barely move as well._

"_H-hi." he managed to mumble out, still sniffing as the cat began to press itself into his chest. The creature was freezing, but then, so was the child. He swept his wide, grieving eyes around the place he was in now. Wide and spacious. A cover of trees far overhead that shielded the pair from the wind and the snow of the raging blizzard outside. But it was still too cold. It was so, so cold, and even as the kitten and the child huddled together for warmth, there was no stopping it._

"_A-are… Are you al-lone too? You don't… have a mommy, either?" he asked in a shaky voice, wrapping his arms around himself and his tiny new companion. The kitten looked at him, and its eyes looked so sad and afraid. It mewed weakly at him, and the boy could see it didn't have a single tooth in its mouth. How had it survived so long by itself? It was just a baby… But didn't kittens still have teeth?_

"_Don't worry-y." he stuttered through his shivers. "We won't be alone if we're t-together. At le-east, we can g-go to sleep with a frie-frie-frie…" he couldn't finish the word, and his little eyes seemed to have given up. He was falling asleep now, so quickly…_

"_Hiccup!"_

_Was that his father's voice? It sounded so far away._

"_Hiccup! Son!"_

_But it was getting closer… Hiccup wanted to answer but he couldn't. He couldn't raise his voice any further…_

.

* * *

.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup's eyes snapped open. He sat up quickly, looking frantically around to check his surroundings. Walls. Carpet. Bed. His bedroom. He sighed, relieved, and was surprised at the sound of his voice, so broken and strangled. It was then that he noticed the wetness on his cheeks.

He sniffed very audibly as he brought his hands to his face, wiping away tears and realizing belatedly that he was shaking. He looked to the foot of his bed, and there was Toothless. The cat stared at him, seeming concerned, head cocked to the side. Without thinking, he grabbed the black feline and brought him flush against his chest, arms wrapped tightly around the large animal and face buried in the dark fur.

Toothless sniffed and nudged at the boy with his nose, meowing softly.

"Hiccup! Don't tell me you're still asleep up there!"

His father's voice. Stoick's voice. He was being called from downstairs. He had woken him from…

He steadied his voice, as best as he possibly could, before calling down. "Yeah, sorry dad, just woke up! I'll be down soon!"

"Well hurry, lad, the food's getting cold!" was the somewhat cheery response.

Hiccup released Toothless, looking earnestly into the feline's face and choking back the remnants of a sob. The remnants of a nightmare. And yet, not truly a nightmare; nightmares were fabrications of the mind, fears that were dreamed up. What that had been was a memory.

"Toothless…" he spoke softly, regaining his composure gradually. "I haven't had that dream in… In years, buddy." He brought the heel of his palms to his eyes, burying them slightly in the sockets and sighing. "So why now?"

He quickly decided he didn't have time to worry about this. He needed to get himself back into sorts, put on a winning expression for Stoick, go down and enjoy this fine… Saturday. Ah, wonderful. Saturday. Heading into his bathroom, the brunette handled the standard morning ritual somewhat autonomously, thoughts more firmly occupied by the reminders of what today entailed. Not a peaceful, nice day to relax, like a weekend should have been, nooo. He was going to be filming today. He sighed as he spat toothpaste into the sink, rinsing his mouth out with a glass of water and cleaning the bristles of his toothbrush, all the while glowering at his unkempt reflection. He needed a shower, especially if he was going to be washing those tear stains off his cheeks.

Getting himself cleaned up didn't take too long from that point, but despite his best efforts to spend as little time under the shower head as possible, he was all but positive that whatever breakfast his dad had cooked up downstairs had likely gone cold as ice by now. Especially seeing as how the frigidity of his room was even more intense than usual when he finally stepped out of the steaming bathroom.

"We're almost into December…" he muttered to himself, fishing through his wardrobe for a warm set of clothes. "It's only gonna get worse from here."

Having finally dressed himself and made his way downstairs, Hiccup was greeted by the sight of his father already cleaning the dishes in the kitchen sink, a solitary plate of pancakes and sausage waiting on the table.

"Took your time getting down, hm?" Stoick called to him, his back still turned.

Hiccup laughed shallowly as he took a seat, not particularly minding the less-than-warm state of his breakfast as he shoveled it down. "Sorry dad. Weekend mode, you know."

Stoick turned then, a genial smile worn in the midst of his bearded face. He squinted a bit at the sight of his son, decked out in one his heavy winter coats and carrying his book bag. "Are you off to somewhere today?" he asked curiously.

Hiccup glanced up and nodded. "Yeah. I have to film the football game later, remember? I don't have to leave for a little while though."

Stoick nodded, fingers running through his beard in thought as he recalled the conversation. "Ah, yes, that's right…"

Hiccup held back an eyeroll. It hadn't been more than a few days ago, and his dad had already forgotten? Honestly… Though, speaking of forgetting. "Oh, and dad, I have something for you."

"Ah?" Stoick asked, eyebrows raised in interest.

Hiccup set his fork down and began to rummage through his book bag, muttering to himself quietly as he sifted through the contents, before procuring the manila envelope he sought. "Here." He handed it to his father, who took it with a quizzical expression on his broad features. "Snotlout gave that to me yesterday. He said that it's for you, from Uncle Spitelout."

This news caused an immediate darkening of Stoick's expression, and he grumbled quietly to himself as he opened the envelope with a quick tear. He seemed prepared to unload its contents out on to the table, but after glancing at Hiccup and taking a mind to privacy, instead opted to peek inside.

Hiccup saw his expression lift into clear surprise, and suddenly found himself incredibly interested to know what was inside. "Dad…? What is it?"

Stoick slipped a finger into the parcel, pulling a simple white sheet of paper out from within. Hiccup could tell by the weight that was still visible in the envelope that there was still something else inside, but Stoick tucked it out of sight cautiously as he unfolded the white sheet. A note of some kind? Stoick definitely appeared to be reading it, eyes darkening as they swept over each line which was present.

When he had finished, the great man folded the sheet neatly and tucked it back in the envelope. He then cleared his throat and gave Hiccup what he swore was an appraising look. "Hiccup." Stoick's tone was not stern. More curious. Perhaps even hopeful?

"…Yeah, dad?"

"You're filming that game today, yes?"

"Yeah."

"Do you ever pay attention to what you're filming? Or do you just point a camera at it?"

Hiccup wasn't sure where he was going with this. "Well, I kind of _have_ t- look, dad, what is this about?"

Stoick stood swiftly, straightening his posture and trying to look busy. He was getting ready to go, clearly. "Hiccup, have you ever given any more thought to joining one of those sports teams?" Stoick asked as he traipsed about the kitchen, picking up a briefcase, and some folders, as well as a toolbox, and of course, the car keys.

"Uhm, no, not exactly." Hiccup stood as well, trailing his father as he scrutinized the bustling man, whom was doing everything in his power to look distracted. "Why is this suddenly important?" Hiccup asked dryly, trying to find his father's gaze.

But Stoick was not listening. "Ah, just forget about it son. It's nothing important. I need to get to work, now, there're some electrical line repairs that need my supervision, and paperwork to look over at the office…" he was mumbling as he quickly made his way out the door.

Hiccup could only stare after him, perplexed, while he listened to the front door opening and closing. He noted that he had taken the envelope with him. "Oookay, so that was weird." He glanced down at Toothless, who was seated comfortably on the floor, looking at the spot where Stoick had vanished around the corner.

The cat met his gaze and puffed up the fir around his shoulders, almost as if shrugging.

"Well, this isn't all bad. I've got the house to myself for a while." Hiccup observed with a slight smile, glad that there hadn't been an extended level of conversation between father and son this morning. Especially in light of his dream, which certainly had him a little unsettled. He eyed his long-cold meal again, knowing he wouldn't mind eating it as it was, but thinking he could certainly use a hot meal anyhow. "Guess I'm cooking then."

He set his bag down onto the kitchen floor and removed his coat, knowing the hot stove would warm him just fine. "You want anything, Toothless?" he asked of the Burmese while he browsed through the rather well-stocked fridge for ideas. Maybe some more sausage links? Oh, and there were some eggs, a little bacon, and plenty of leftovers from the night before.

Toothless nudged his way past Hiccup's legs and poked his head into the cool storage, looking around until his eyes settled on some of the fish from last night. Not bothering to ask, the cat simply stood up onto the shelf, grabbed the tantalizing piece of flesh, and dragged it off the plate and onto the kitchen floor, eating noisily.

"Real nice, Toothless." Hiccup told the feline, smirking and rolling his eyes. He turned back to the task at hand and grabbed a few eggs, as well as some of the turkey and soup. "This looks promising."

Before long the kitchen was alive with the aromas of reheated turkey breast and shrimp (both of which had Toothless pawing at the boy's legs), sizzling eggs, and maple syrup – Hiccup, in his impatience while the food cooked, found himself munching on the cold sausage and pancakes. And Stoick worried that the boy didn't eat enough… ha! His heart might break in two if he found out how much Hiccup really did eat on a regular basis, only to still be the size he was… Or so Hiccup imagined it would.

A buzzing in his pocket, as well as a familiar jingle, alerted him to the presence of a new text message. Happy for the distraction, he fished the device out of his pants and brought the screen to his curious gaze. A message from Jack.

Hiccup didn't need a mirror to know that his face had probably just turned a little red. Great, this wasn't exactly the distraction he had been looking for. He swallowed. Well, he was going to have to think about this sooner than later. How exactly did one go about acting once they realized they had a crush on someone? Common sense indicated that he shouldn't be acting any differently than he had been already. Right? But of course, this caused him to take a careful look at how he had been acting up until now.

His thoughts jumped around to all of the ways he had treated the other boy between Thursday morning, that lunch period, showing Jack around town, having him in his house, staring at him far more frequently than he'd have liked to admit, getting flustered over the stupidest little thing, letting him into his room, just the two of them…

"Well, it's comforting to know that I've been acting like a love-struck schoolgirl from the get-go." he muttered negatively, brows knitted together in annoyance. So should he _stop_ doing that, then? Or would Jack notice the change? He groaned. "Astrid's right. I really am an idiot."

Toothless watched as his human seemed to spend a lot of time flailing around, pulling his own hair and grumbling to no one. He had been seeing a lot of that odd behavior lately. And that weird device of his was clutched in his hand almost in a death grip. The cat decided not to pay him any more attention, too distracted by the scent of turkey in the air.

Hiccup belatedly realized that his eggs were probably done by now, and also that he had yet to actually look at the text. He scooted out of his seat, eating the last of his cold sausage as he wandered over to the stove. He moved the frying pan off of the burner, seeing that his eggs had friend rather nicely. The microwave with the turkey in it was still going, but it smelled like it was about good to go. He wandered over as he finally opened the text message.

'_Good morning staaaaaaarshiiiiiine. :]'_

Hiccup almost choked on bits of sausage. After sputtering for a few moments and grabbing himself a drink of water, he found himself staring at the text in a vaguely bewildered sort of fashion. "What the hell kind of greeting is that?" he asked out loud, ignoring the heat he could feel on his cheeks. He smiled slightly. But only slightly.

'…_Good morning, Jack.'_

He sent it off and sighed, feeling his heart beating faster than it should have been as he fetched the turkey from the microwave and poured himself some soup from the pot that was reheating on the stove. He hadn't even sat down with his meal before the reply arrived.

'_Hahaha hey hiccup. Whats up?'_

He looked over the message, almost disappointed with the lack of a face of some kind, while he set his plate onto the table.

'_Not too much, just eating some leftovers. You?'_

The reply took even less time to arrive this time, Hiccup rolling his eyes as he had to set his fork down.

'_Awww lucky. That food was glorious i wish i had some of it right now. And im just playing video games with mary.'_

'_Oh, you two play games together?'_

Evidently so, as this time Hiccup had several moments to gulp down some eggs, sip at his soup, and get started on the turkey breast before a response came.

'_Hell yeah we play games together. Shes kicking my butt hic.'_

He giggled softly to himself, taking another bite of turkey and punching in his response. As he did so, however, he still could not seem to get that first message out of his head. It made his insides squirm thinking about it, and he needed to have some curiosity satisfied.

'_That is hilarious. Also, not that it matters, but 'Starshine'?'_

The response was but a moment later.

'_Hahaha everyone likes to wake up to a cute nickname right?'_

Well. That certainly didn't help his flustered situation any. "Relax, Hiccup, he's just joking with you. Just. Joking. Joke back, you know? That's what normal people do."

'_Hardy har. What are you, my wife?'_

He stared at his screen in muted shock as the message was sent, clearly having not been thinking about his choice of words at all until it was too late. The response took an unnervingly long time to arrive.

'_Is that a proposal? ;D'_

"What is happening here." he asked, his voice flat but his eyes wide. "He's… he's running with the joke. That's it."

Toothless was finding his human's behavior increasingly odd, but couldn't help noticing that his food seemed to have been all but forgotten at this point… The cat began to move. Hiccup sighed and sent his next response.

'_Please. I could do waaaay better than you, Snowcone. And that winking face is offensive.'_

'_Snowcone, he calls me, as he denies our nuptials. Hiccup youre going to make me cry. What did i ever do to get such an abusive husband?'_

Hiccup outright laughed at that one, his attention fully engrossed in his phone by now, a smile on his features while Toothless stood on the table beside him, eating his meal.

'_You EXISTED.'_

'_Ouch hiccup. Ouch.'_

He was about to type another reply until suddenly his phone started ringing, nearly giving him a heart attack as he flailed with the device and gasped. He caught it, thankfully enough, and looked at the caller ID, seeing Astrid's name.

"H-hello?" Why the hell did he stutter?

"_Hey, Hiccup. You alright?"_

"Peachy." he replied, glancing over and narrowing his eyes, having just noticed Toothless was doing away with the rest of his meal. "My cat just ate my breakfast, but I'm great."

There was a laugh on the other line. _"Alrighty. Anyway, wanted to double check about later. I assume the game is still on and I'll be keeping you company?"_

"Yes, and only if you're willing."

"_I'm willing. Also, I wanted to tell you. So, my mom knows about the show now."_

Hiccup's unseen expression was intrigued, and he leaned back in his seat. "Oh? Is that so?"

"_Yep. I swore her to secrecy, stressed it a lot, but I mean… I'm still nervous. If she lets it slip, I really don't want to deal with the consequences."_

"I don't blame you." he replied, pulling the phone from his ear and turning on the speaker function. He set the phone down onto the table as he navigated away from the call screen, heading back to his text messages.

"_Anyway, I just figured you'd be interested to know."_

"Uh-huh…" His voice was rather non-committal as he pulled up Jack's text thread, typing in his response. _'You knew what you were getting into when yo-'_

"_Are you sure you're alright? You seem distracted."_

He paused in the middle of typing, sighing. "Well, I guess I am a little. Just texting. Sorry." His fingers kept moving as he spoke, finishing the response. _'-u agreed to this marriage.'_

"_Oh? Who you texting, Hiccup?" _the girl asked, but there was a knowing edge in her voice that told Hiccup she obviously already had an idea.

"Just Jack."

There was a silent pause. _"So, I think you and I need to have a talk."_

Jack's response arrived. _'Oh so now we ARE married. Which is it hiccup my maiden heart cant handle the uncertainty.'_

Hiccup coughed. "You know Astrid, I think we just might."

This seemed to take the girl by surprise, and it was quite evident in her voice. _"Wait, really?"_

"Yes. And let me save you some of the trouble of having to pry and worm information out of me. I'm not really as dense as I act, okay? And I kind of faced up to it last night." He was apprehensive, tapping his fingers on the table and glancing out the kitchen window from his seat just to ensure Stoick was indeed gone. "…I like him, alright? And I'm sure you knew that already so you can go ahead and gloat now."

"_Oh my gosh, Hiccup." _Astrid's voice responded, filled with subtle laughs. _"I'm not going to gloat. But I am pretty glad to hear you finally admitting it."_

"Yeah, well, you didn't have to be so insistent about it." he shot back, resting his chin in his hand as he stared at the screen, contemplating a response to Jack's last message. "When did you figure it out, anyway?"

"_Pretty much right away. As soon as you brought him to our table to sit, I could tell."_

"What!? Astrid, I'm pretty sure _I_ didn't even know right then, not even subconsciously."

"_Hiccup, I've known you for years. I've seen the way you look at people when you think they're attractive, even if you never admit to thinking so. Your eyes kind of light up in this certain way whenever an actor you think is hot appears on the screen when we go to the movies."_

"And just how long have you entertained a habit of watching how I look at people!?" he replied, clearly flustered by this remark.

"_It's not like I go out of my way to do it." _she replied_. "You're just pretty obvious about it, honestly." _If the level of smugness in the girl's voice had a face, Hiccup would have gladly punched it. _"You're just lucky it's always been in a dark theater up until now, or you might just be broadcasting to other people, hahaha."_

"Great. Charming. Really glad to know that, Astrid."

"Anyway,_ look. It wasn't just that, alright? Sure, I could tell you wanted to jump his bones from the way you looked at him-"_

"Astrid!" Hiccup was absolutely mortified by the bluntness of the statement.

"_Tell me I'm wrong, Hiccup."_

"You're w-wrong!" Awww, damn it.

"_That hitch in your voice isn't very convincing. Anyway, I could tell you thought he was _attractive_, if that's what you'd prefer, by the way you looked at him, but there was more. Hiccup, I said before that you never open yourself up to people very quickly. It's always a damn ordeal, for anyone, to get close to you at all. The level of openness you had with Jack though, it stuck out to me. And also, it wasn't really very long before the "he's hot" looks started turning into that doe-eyed expression people make when they genuinely admire someone. Maybe it's just because I know you so well, Hiccup, but it was pretty clear to me that you liked him. A lot."_

Hiccup released a defeated sigh, upset with himself that he had been so transparent to the girl, but not willing to challenge her on this. "Alright. Question answered then, thank you. So, with that out of the way, _what do I do_, Astrid?"

"_What do you mean?"_

"How do I act!" he replied hotly, flailing his hands. "You said it yourself – yeah, sure, maybe there's been plenty of great eye-candy in movies, but I've never- I, ah…"

"_You've never liked someone that you could actually be around. Physically."_

"That, yes." He crossed his arms and started tapping his foot, still glaring at the text thread between him and Jack. "I don't know what to do. Or how I should act. And I mean, you know… I'm kind of a minority, Astrid. It's not even very likely that he swings that way, let alone feels the same." he muttered that last bit, his voice growing increasingly quiet with doubt.

Astrid seemed to have caught it all, regardless. _"I can't tell you how to act, Hiccup. I mean, my suggestion would be to not change a thing. The way you've been acting has been just fine as far as I can tell. There's no reason for you change up your behavior just because you stopped being a dummy and faced up to how you were feeling. Just _don't_ act like Snotlout. Cannot stress that enough."_

He smiled at the sound of shudder from her end of the phone. "I think I can safely say that so-forward-and-obvious-that-it's-almost-offensive is not something we need to worry about from me." But then… wasn't that part of the problem he had with Jack? "Right, so, Astrid. One of the reasons I figured I should talk to you…"

She waited for a moment, a breath of air flying against the receiver. _"…Are you gonna say it? Or should I just keep waiting for nothing?"_

"Right, sorry." he cleared his throat, fingers playing at the keyboard of his phone. "Thing is… what do you make of Jack? I mean, I honestly feel sometimes like he's… I mean, he says and does things that, ah… But he could just be joking, I mean we don't know him very-"

"_You think he's flirting with you."_

Hiccup coughed. "…A little? Maybe? I suspect it?"

"_You think he's flirting but you're not sure if it's real or if he's just messing around." _She summed it up neatly, and then made a vaguely worried sort of sound. _"Honestly, I don't know what to tell you about that, Hiccup. You're right, I mean, we don't really know him all that well yet. And what I _do_ know about him is that he's friendly and kind of a joker, not to mention almost excessively playful." _She added with a light chuckle. _"So yeah, I couldn't honestly say what he's actually doing. The only thing I can say for certain is that he definitely likes you. Like, as a friend, I mean. That much is obvious."_

"Yeah, I guess it is." The brunette's slight grin was undeniably warm as he secured himself in the knowledge that, if nothing else, Jack was definitely friendly with him. "Thing is, we're kind of joking about being married right now. In our texts, I mean."

Astrid laughed. _"Well, that's… interesting, haha. It doesn't really _confirm_ anything, obviously, but I think we can at least chalk that up as a point in the "reciprocation corner"?"_

Hiccup nodded, chuckling, before remembering that Astrid couldn't see him. "Yeah, yeah, I guess so. Look, Astrid, I'm just really nervous about all this, alright? It's my first time actually _liking_ someone, and just… I'm gonna be seeing him today, and every day at school, and I really don't know how to deal with it."

"_Relax, Hiccup. I'll be there to look out for you."_

"Thanks, Astrid." he grumbled at the sight of his clean plate, Toothless having finished it several minutes ago. The cat was nowhere to be seen now. "Anyway, glad we could have this talk, so do me a favor and quit being so passive aggressive about it in the future."

"_I make no promises."_

"Of course you don't. Well, I've got the house to myself for a while, so I think I'm going to go now and relax before I have to head up and help Mr. Mulch set things up for the filming."

"_Alright. Hey, Hiccup?"_

"Yeah?"

"_Thanks for talking to me about this. I'm glad."_

"You would be." Hiccup replied sharply, though his humored tone of voice exposed his obvious, unspoken sentimentality.

"_Yeah, whatever, smartass. I'll see you at the game."_

"See you."

The two hung up and Hiccup let out a long breath, stretching and yawning as he eyed the clock. He had a few hours to kill. Finally, he turned back to the text, having been awaiting a reply for a bit now, and smiled, typing in his response.

'_Not telling, /darling/. You'll just have to deal with the ambiguity.'_

He smirked at the message's double meaning, satisfied, and hit 'Send'.

.

* * *

.

Jack wailed in lamenting horror as he watched his Badass Ninja Princess fly off the screen, losing the last of her lives while Mary's pink blob of horror danced around.

"I win again!" Mary cried happily, jumping up and doing a little jig while she waved her controller around.

Jack groaned and tossed his own controller onto the floor. "Whatever! You're totally cheating, I know it. Somehow."

Mary ran over to him, pinching his left cheek and smiling impishly. "Sore loser~!" she sang.

Jack wished he could tell himself that he was just being a good big brother and letting Mary win. But unfortunately, that was not the reality of the situation at all. Unfortunately, Mary was just _really freaking good._ "Another round." the boy demanded.

Mary giggled as she ran back to her seat, picking her controller up. The two were currently breaking in the rather cozy Game Room North had established, sitting on plush bean bag chairs (Jack had no idea they even _owned_ bean bag chairs) in front of an impressively large television screen. They were tucked somewhat into the left corner of the space, as a fancy-looking pool table occupied its center. Jack still found the notion of owning a room specifically for entertainment purposes ridiculous. He wasn't used to this kind of luxury.

He eyed the character selection screen carefully. Mary wasted no time in choosing the disgustingly cute little yellow rat, but Jack was much more cautious in his choice, trying to determine who best to use to finally claim a victory. He settled on the pretty-boy swordsman with the cape, deeming him an acceptable counter.

Minutes into the fight proved otherwise as the little rat tore him to pieces. "How are you even doing this?" he demanded, willing his character to jump back to the stage instead of falling to his death.

"Because you stink!" Mary answered, jumping onto his flailing character's head and knocking him down further, into the waiting abyss. Her little rat, predictably, made it back to the stage safely.

"That was cheap, Mary, come on!" Jack was prepared to go into a tirade all about how unfair it was to stop a character from jumping back to the stage, but a chiming next to him grabbed his attention, and he immediately paused the game to look to his phone with a hopeful grin.

Mary looked over at her brother curiously as he eyed his phone's screen, laughing to himself. "Why do you keep pausing the game? Are you talking to someone?"

Jack looked up, his expression heavily reminiscent of a child whom was caught with their hand in the cookie jar. "Uh, yeah, I'm just texting."

"Who?" Mary asked, smiling widely.

Jack returned the look, bashfully casting his gaze toward the carpeted floor. "Just Hiccup."

His sister snickered. "I still think that that's a really funny name. But I like it."

"Imagine if he got the hiccups." Jack told her, laughing.

She joined him. "Then he'd be a hiccupping Hiccup!"

The siblings seemed to just be in stitches over this. "Wouldn't that be precious?" Jack asked though his laughter.

Mary nodded enthusiastically at him, her giggles ceasing. "I think it's really great that you have good friends, Jack!"

"Aww, come on kiddo, I've told you before not to worry about me so much."

She shook her head. "Uh-uh! Jack, you almost never made any friends before, and every time you did you never even spent time with them other than at school!" she crossed her arms then, looking at him with as stern an expression as a ten-year-old could muster. "You weren't having any fun, and I didn't like it."

Jack sighed dramatically. "Maryyyyy, what are you talking about? I always had fun, all the time even!" The girl only continued to pout at him, but her sad eyes made the teen uncomfortable. He really didn't want to be having this conversation.

"Yeah but…" she looked at him and locked eyes with him, seeing how fidgety he suddenly looked. Perhaps in a show of wisdom uncharacteristic for one her age, she relented. "Anyway, I really like the friends you have now. And Astrid is really cool! I like Astrid a lot!"

Jack inwardly released his relief, smiling softly at his sister. "Yeah, Astrid really is cool."

"So cool!" the little girl practically shouted. "She told me a lot, too! And she showed me how to build a snowman the perfect way, because all of mine at our old homes were always weird-looking, I mean you saw it! Oh, and she said she'd teach me to fight so I could be pretty and tough if I wanted!"

Jack was chuckling silently to himself as his sister carried on and on about her new idol, not fully admitting to the silent insecurity he was feeling because of it. Not for the first time, he wondered to himself if Mary would have been better off if she'd had an older sister instead of an older brother. He often thought that if she had, she'd probably be able to relate much better, and indulge in more girly things, and have more fun than she had with Jack. Sure, Jack knew how to braid hair, and make flower garlands, and even knew how to have a proper tea party, and he did all of these things with her. But he still wondered if somehow it would have been better if Mary had done it with an older female she could look up to…

"Hey Jack?" Her voice woke him up from his thoughts pretty quickly.

"Yeah?"

"I'm bored with the game. Can we go outside and play?" she asked, hopefully.

Jack gave the matter some very serious thought, but frowned. "Sorry, Mary, I don't know if that's the best idea. I've got that filming thing I need to go to later, and I wouldn't want to lose track of time. You know how we get carried away when we're out." he reasoned, an apologetic expression on his face.

The little girl sighed and nodded. "I still think it's boring that I'm gonna be stuck here by myself for a while."

"I know, kiddo, I know." Jack assured the girl, crossing over to her from his seat and laying a hand on her head. "And I'm sorry. But I promise, I'll take you out on the town really soon. You know to lock all the doors and not let any strangers in, right?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "I know, Jack, it's not like I've never been on my own before."

He pinched her nose. "I just always gotta make sure."

"Stop that!" she flailed, smacking him in the chest when his fingers wouldn't let go.

"What's the magic woooooord?" he chirped, enduring her slaps.

"Jack is a Stinkelf!"

"Now that just hurts my feelings." he replied mockingly, twisting her nose just a tiny bit.

She retaliated by reaching up and grabbing his ears, yanking on them. "Leggo!"

"Ow!" he cried, releasing her nose quickly and pulling himself away. "That _hurt_, Mary!"

She grinned cheekily. "Astrid taught me that! She said ears are way more sensitive than people remember!"

"Astrid's going to turn you into a deadly weapon." he murmured, somewhat fearfully as she giggled at him. He stood then, turning the TV off but leaving the game system running. "Hey, do you want me to make you a snack? I've still got a couple of hours before I have to go, and North won't be home till late, so you won't be having any dinner till later."

She got up as well, following him as they wandered toward the kitchen. "Yeah, I don't want to be too hungry later. Can you make me some sandwiches?"

"I'd be happy to!"

Mary seated herself on a stool at the kitchen counter while Jack busied himself with preparing her meal, finding the bread and various other ingredients stowed in cupboards and refrigerator shelves. As he worked, he recalled that he hadn't yet responded to Hiccup's last message, grinning to himself as he pulled his phone out (after setting the tomatoes down on the counter, of course). He quickly worked on punching in a reply.

'_Oh mr haddock so forceful with your words! I believe youve given me a case of the vapors, /sweetheart/!'_

There, that ought to do, he determined with a smirk. He wondered how far Hiccup intended to take this little game. His head was already swimming with ideas for interesting greetings he could throw at the auburn-haired youth the next time he saw him. Which would be later today… Hmmm.

"You know, Mary, you haven't really told me very much about your friends." he stated conversationally as he began to construct the girl's sandwich. "Oh, and how many of these do you want?"

"Three!"

"Piggy."

"Shut up." she replied soundly. "But uhm, well, there isn't too much to say because I've only been to school with them twice. We spent more time with Astrid and Hiccup than I have with my other friends yet. But Hilde is really nice, and she's been talking to me at every recess. Also we like to draw pictures together when the teacher isn't looking." she added with a giggle. "The teacher is really cranky. We drew him getting chased by wolves yesterday, and decided that that's why he's always that way."

"You're a girl after my own heart, Mary." Jack replied, laughing at the story. "But you know, he _could_ be a troll. I hear from the people around here that those exist."

Mary contemplated this very seriously. "Really? …Hm. I guess he really could be a troll. I'll have to tell Hilde."

"Be sure that you do!" he warned, setting one completed sandwich in front of the girl just as his phone went off again. Mary smiled and rolled her eyes while he checked it.

'_That was the plan, /snoockums/. Anyway, I'm gonna head down to the school now. I need to be there early to help Mr. Mulch with setup.'_

Jack was immediately hit with the compulsion to go as well, and help out, and was about to say as much via text before he thought better of this. He glanced at Mary, who was watching him as she bit into her sandwich. He didn't want to leave the girl alone for any longer than was necessary, after all.

"Hiccup thinks he's being hilarious." he told her, typing up a quick reply to let Hiccup know he'd see him later.

"I'll bet he really is being hilarious, and you're just not admitting it." his sister supplied.

"You think everyone is hilarious." was her brother's retort as he set back to work on the sandwiches.

"Do not!"

"Do too."

"Do not!"

"Do toooooo."

"I don't think my teacher is hilarious!"

"You drew him getting chased by wolves, that's pretty hilarious."

"Yeah, but not because of _him_."

"It extends to him because you featured him in the drawing, so therefore it counts."

"Well I don't think vampires are hilarious!"

"Yes, but vampires don't actually exist, Mary – we disproved that years ago, remember?"

"Well…! I don't think a boy in my class is hilarious!"

Jack turned to face his sister, two sandwiches prepared, and an amused half-smile on his face. "What's his name?"

"You don't know him, he's just a boy in my class!"

"I didn't ask if I knew him, I asked what his name was."

"It's… Chester."

Jack set the snacks down in front of her, leaning against the counter and chuckling. "That doesn't like the kind of name the kids in this town would have, Mary."

"I didn't tell you his last name! He's Chester Bonebutt."

"Sure he is, kiddo."

"He's real, and he's not funny!" she argued, waving her sandwich fitfully.

"Oh, I definitely believe you."

Slouching on her stool, the girl took a grumpy bite of her sandwich, mumbling quietly. "No you don't…"

Silence hung in the air for a while, comfortably, with the older of the two watching the clock and nibbling absently on his thumbnail while the younger ate her food quietly. She turned her downcast gaze up at her brother, seeing how fidgety he seemed to be as he looked at the clock, and hearing the slight, telltale sound of a fingernail being chewed through.

"Jack, what's the matter?"

He pulled his hand away from his face, turning to face her. "Huh? Nothing, why?"

"You seem anxious about something." she spoke slowly, as if trying to remember if 'anxious' was the right word to use for a moment. It had been on her vocabulary test at her old school a few weeks ago…

Jack released a breathy laugh. "Well I'm just a little excited. Hiccup said he was going down to the football field early to set things up for our crew. I kinda thought it sounded like fun, and was thinking about doing that with him next time."

Mary stared at her brother then, scrunching up her face in apparent thought. She blinked a couple of times, and Jack had to wonder just what was going through his little sister's head. "Well you can go, if you want." she said, finally.

Jack shook his head. "Nah, I don't want to leave you alone just yet."

"Jack it's okay! You made me food, and I can just play the story mode of our game while you're gone! You can go."

Jack was hesitant as she told him this, still unsure of how she should respond. She offered him an assuring smile and a firm nod. "You're sure?"

"Yup! I'll be okay, and daddy will be home at eight o'clock anyway, so I won't be by myself any longer than I have been before."

He continued to stare at her, weighing the options in his head.

She sighed. "Jack, go! Go!"

"Alright, alright, I'll go!" he replied, laughing with her. "Let me just go and get ready. And don't you forget to lock up all the doors when I'm gone!" he called to her as he vanished around the corner to run up the stairs.

"I know!" she called after him. At the sounds of his footsteps upstairs, she relaxed and smiled to herself, taking another bite of her meal. Honestly, she thought it was a little weird that Jack seemed to be such good friends with Hiccup when he hadn't known him for very long. But it wasn't really a bad weird. Mary decided that she very much liked it. Though it left her curious, all the same. She had to wonder a bit. Well, in any case, all that mattered was that Jack was happy. And she hoped that soon, he would be happy the way he _used_ to be.

.

* * *

.

Hiccup shivered a bit as he entered the school, already unhappy with how cold the weather was turning out to be. He was mostly warm beneath his rather heavy winter coat, but he had neglected to bring any gloves, or even a scarf. Stupid move, as it turned out, as it was his hands and neck that were freezing. Still, stepping inside the school was a welcome relief, temporary though it may have been. He'd be back outside before long, and the weather was only going to get colder as the evening wore on.

He paced the empty halls quietly, hands stuffed in his pockets as he tried to wake the digits up, enjoying the quiet solitude. But as he rounded the corner of the hall, passing by the door to the faculty office, that moment came to a premature end. Hiccup grunted in pain and stumbled backwards, falling on his rear end as he smacked right into someone who had been turning the same corner from the opposite direction, though at a much quicker pace.

Said someone had also faced the consequences of impact, and had fallen as well. An assortment of papers were strewn about around the two as they both groaned and grumbled, looking up at one another.

"You!" a familiar long face, framed by longer strands of dreadlock-esque blonde hair, shouted at the brunette. "Why don't you watch where you're going!"

"My apologies, Tuffnut." Hiccup replied insincerely. "But maybe you shouldn't be charging down the hall at twenty miles per hour."

Tuffnut was hardly paying him any attention as he angrily went about collecting the papers that he had dropped, stacking them together quickly. Without really thinking about it, Hiccup began to help him, picking up sheets and stacking them as well. This caught Tuffnut's attention, and his gaze suddenly narrowed.

"Wait a minute. You came up to bother me yesterday, and now you're here again?" he was getting defensive as he snatched his papers away from Hiccup. "That's twice now you've seen me doing something secret! You really are spying on me, aren't you?"

Hiccup scooted backwards, away from the possibly hostile blonde. "What exactly is so secret about this?"

Tuffnut's eyes widened a fraction, as if just noticing his own choice of vernacular, before gritting his teeth and standing up with his papers, Hiccup standing as well. "Just forget I said anything and stay out of my business!" he warned, shoving past the boy and knocking him down once again as he made for the office.

Hiccup noticed a single sheet of paper on the ground, clearly one that Tuffnut had missed. _Oh, great, and I'm about to be the Good Samaritan, aren't I?_ He sighed as he grabbed it, standing and calling after Tuffnut.

"Uhh, hey, Tuff? You forgot one."

Tuffnut had his hand on the doorknob, but stopped at the sound of Hiccup's voice, glancing over to see the sheet he held gingerly between two fingers. He was stomping over now, and in spite of Hiccup's best efforts, he couldn't stop his eyes as he quickly glanced down at the parchment.

Tuffnut took it from him a moment later, glaring, _fuming_. He must have seen Hiccup's eyes. He added the sheet to the stack he held in one hand, and with the other grabbed a fistful of Hiccup's coat, yanking him forward. "You had _better_ not tell _anyone_."

Hiccup nodded rapidly. "Nope, no siree."

Tuffnut released him then and stormed into the office, slamming the door behind him (Hiccup was fairly sure he heard the secretary inside scolding him for it). The brunette wasted no further time in turning and moving in the opposite direction, eager to get to the field and away from the angry teen.

But as usual, his curious mind began to wander, and the question hung in his head like a damp rag, too heavy to ignore. Why was it such a secret for Ruffnut to be to applying for an academic scholarship? And more curious, why wasn't _she_ the one turning it in?

.

* * *

.

"And that should do it…" the teen muttered to himself, adjusting the last of his camera's settings.

"Well, it took long enough." Astrid spoke up from her nearby seat on the bleachers, legs crossed as she leaned back lazily. "You'd think it wouldn't take over an hour just to set up a few cameras and cables."

Hiccup fixed her with a mock glare. "Yeah, well, you _could_ have helped out, you know, as long as you were here."

"Hey, I'm just here to keep you company. Helping out wasn't part of the deal. Besides, I'm busy so often that I think I deserve a breather now and then."

Hiccup shrugged, as much of a 'You're right' as the girl was going to get, and took a seat next to her. All that was left to do now was wait. The ticket-takers were already stationed at the entrance to the stadium area, and the first of the spectators were beginning to arrive. No doubt the players themselves were already gathered in the locker rooms beneath the bleachers. Only one of the film crew had shown up so far, though, other than Mulch himself.

"So, want to invite Jack to hang with us tonight, after the game?" Astrid asked, tapping her quiet friend on the shoulder.

"You know, Astrid, just because the whole crush thing is now known between us, that doesn't mean we have to talk about all the time." he complained, slouching further into the cold metal of the seat and burying his face into the warm scarf around his neck (which Astrid had brought for him, thankfully enough. The girl had wonderful foresight).

"Can I help it if I am incredibly interested by the topic of your until-now-nonexistent love life?" she asked innocently.

"Yes, you can. Sheesh, I kinda miss when you'd just gripe at me about telling my dad about the showcase."

"Speaking of that…"

"Ugh! No, Astrid, I obviously haven't told him yet."

The girl openly laughed at him, and seemed prepared to say more until a familiar, jovial sound grabbed at their attention.

"Hey, Hiccup! Astrid!"

The two glanced over in tandem, Astrid smiling widely. "Oh, hey there Jack." she answered, waving.

Hiccup swallowed, the movement of his throat hidden by the scarf, and waved as well, though somewhat weakly.

"Hey guys." Jack greeted as he neared the two. Astrid made a gesture at the available seat on Hiccup's left side, and Jack nodded, sitting himself down next to him without a second thought. He missed the venomous look the brunette shot at her.

"Ah, you, you know Jack, you didn't need to get here quite yet. We're not gonna be filming for a little longer still, and your camera has already been set up." Hiccup explained with a mildly nervous air.

The pale teen groaned in a comical fashion, thin fingers running through his hair in mild frustration. "Ahh, I wish I'd gotten here sooner then, I wanted to help out."

Hiccup watched the boy's movements with traitorous eyes. Were his fingers always that long? Was his chin always angled like that? And when did those eyelashes (which brushed his pale, barely freckled cheeks ever so slightly when he closed his eyes) get so long? And most importantly of all, why were these details all suddenly so important to him?

"Well, that's, uh, that's too bad. But hey, don't sweat it." he replied with a lazy shrug, trying to keep his vision fixed on the field now that it was apparent that his mind was so intent on _noticing_ Jack. "I got your stuff set up across the field. See?" And he pointed out the camera clear across from his own, set up to get a clear shot of center field.

Jack grinned. "Thanks, Hic. Sorry I couldn't help."

Astrid gave him a covert nudge in the gut from his right, smirking at his reddening ears. It was just the cold, it was just the cold…

"Ah, Overland?"

Thank the gods for Mr. Mulch. The man came waddling over, seemingly to check on Hiccup's setup, but stopped when he saw Jack. His greeting adequately distracted the white-haired member of the trio and gave Hiccup a moment to breath and bring his rosy complexion under control.

"Oh, hey Mr. Mulch. I thought I'd come early to help out, but I guess I was a bit too late."

Mulch chuckled warmly at him, offering him a salute. "Early arrival is still admirable, m'boy. You should make a habit of it."

As the man wandered off to resume his business, Astrid leaned over and offered Jack a complimentary smile. "Schmoozing up to the teacher already. You're off to a good start there."

"Hey, I wasn't schmoozing, I was just being honest!" he replied, though he made no attempts to stifle his chortles.

A high-pitched, mildly annoying ring filled the air then, prompting the blonde to roll her icy eyes and stand from her seat. "That'll be my dad calling. I gotta take this, guys, be right back." She strolled away then, pulling her phone from a pocket and answering, a distant 'Hello?' spoken as she moved further off.

"It's pretty great that she's spending time here just to hang out with you."

Hiccup turned his attention away from the girl's retreating back, glancing back at Jack. The teen was wearing an appreciative expression, some clear fondness apparent. "Yeah, she's a pretty great friend. The best, really." The brunette responded, his countenance mirroring the sentiments.

"Mary's pretty taken with her, too. She seems pretty likable, you know? Also, Mary mentioned that she does sports?"

Hiccup smiled and laughed, almost ruefully. "Yeah. It's funny really, we've tossed around that whole 'social suicide' line a couple times now, but really? That's hardly the case for Astrid." He pulled one of his hands from a warm pocket, moving some stray bangs from his face. "She's actually a pretty popular person around here. Star of the track team, and one of the best on the gymnastics team, too. And teachers love her. There really isn't any social faux pas she can commit that will ostracize her from the rest of the student body." His eyelids drooped, an almost worried look overtaking him. "If she really wanted to, she could up and drop me and Fishlegs and go mingle with some of the more socially acceptable individuals any time she wanted."

Jack leaned forward a bit, cocking his head to the side as he took in Hiccup's downcast expression with a lopsided grin. "But she doesn't."

The freckled boy smiled. "Nope. She could. But she chooses not to. Honestly, she…" He rocked his head in a wavering motion, amused with himself and this sappy attitude. "She's amazing, there's really no other way to put it."

"Sure sounds like it." Jack agreed. "I think that's really, really cool of her."

She was coming back now, still talking on the phone but, from the sounds of things, trying to wrap it up. "Uh-huh. Alright. Yes, dad, I'll be home on time. Yeah, I'm just with Hiccup. Okay, ok- Dad. Dad! I'm going to hang up now, bye!" She ended the call then, stuffing the phone back into her pocket and growling a bit. "That guy, I swear…" she muttered, taking her seat next to Hiccup again.

"Call go well?" he asked with faux cheer, a bright, fake smile on his face.

She replicated his expression, though with probably 20% more obvious mockery. "Splendid!" she stated, clapping her hands together as if sharing good news. "Just another conversation of listening to him ramble about how I should be spending my time better, or practicing endlessly, or you know, ridiculing my friends when he's just going to turn around and pretend to be nice to you guys to your faces, like he thinks you don't know what he says behind your backs!"

A dry, bland laugh. Hiccup sighed. "Yes, well, _technically_ I don't. You never really enlighten me about that. All I know is it's not good."

"That sounds messed up…" Jack chimed in, quietly. When he saw Astrid look at him, he quickly waved his hands, backing up a bit. "Uh, I mean, I don't mean to pry into your personal bubble, I can leave if you want…"

Astrid reached over and placed a hand on the boy's arm, shaking her head. "It's fine. I may have overreacted a little yesterday. Just promise me to keep the dog show thing under wraps, and, well, anything else you hear about my dad from me, and we're good."

"Right, well, count on it." he replied good-naturedly.

"See here's the thing," Astrid added, waving a hand as if to emphasize some point. "My dad is pretty much going to be upset with me doing anything that doesn't register as strong, fierce, or reputable. Basically anything remotely 'girly' is a no-no. That's the simplest way to explain it."

Jack nodded along, still confused and hoping for possibly more explanation, but was still careful not to pry. Hiccup glanced back and forth between the two, perhaps at a loss.

"So…" he started.

"Movies." Astrid cut in quickly. The two boys shot questioning looks at her. "Jack, you mentioned yesterday that you wanted us all to go see a movie some time, right?"

"Oh." he replied, blinking, before smiling. "Yeah, definitely."

"Alright, well, what about next weekend? We can have ourselves a movie night down at the plaza. Hiccup?"

Hiccup gave the girl an appraising look, as if reading her possible motives. "Yeeeeeah." he replied slowly. "That sounds like it could be fun. We haven't been to see anything in a while."

"Jack?" she asked, turning her eager eyes to him now.

"I'm in, for sure."

"Awesome. I'll call Fishlegs later and let him know. I'm certain he'll be happy to hear about it."

Jack was bouncing in his seat now, and his expression reminded Hiccup quite remarkably of a giddy six-year-old. "Awesome. Awesome! I love movies, guys, this is going to be fantastic."

Hiccup stifled the early bubbles of laughter at the display, resisting what he was sure would be a really goofy smile, and instead directed his attention to the bleachers around them. People had been arriving steadily since a short while ago, and the bleachers on both sides of the football field were really starting to fill up with spectators.

As if right on cue, Mulch stepped up to the trio, snapping to get their attention. "Hiccup, Overland, kickoff isn't too far off from now. You should be manning your stations."

"Right, sure thing Mr. Mulch." Hiccup replied.

Jack nodded as well. "You got it sir, I'll get right on that."

"See that you do." the man instructed, giving them both a quick smile and nod before wandering off to check on the others.

Astrid made herself more comfortable in her seat while Hiccup and Jack stood, Jack tossing a languid stretch into the mix as he gazed across the field at his waiting camera. "Guess that's my cue to go then."

"Remember what I told you before." Hiccup advised. "Just make sure to keep the camera on the ball's location during plays, follow it. Between plays you can get shots of anything else, but it's not really necessary."

Jack waved him off, smirking. "Yeah, yeah, I know. I can handle it, _sweetie pie_, trust me."

Hiccup was caught rather off-guard by the comment, his lips moving but producing no sound as his eyebrows shot upward. Jack looked like he was about to laugh in his face, however, and that threat was enough to cause Hiccup to turn it around. "Oh? Well color me surprised. And here I thought you just tuned out everything I said to you. Well alright, _sugar pie_, you get going then."

Jack snickered. "Oh I will. Try not to miss me too much, _honey bear_."

Hiccup was holding in his own case of giggles. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder, _lark_."

A clearing throat behind them caused them to direct their attention to Astrid, who was fixing the two of them with a very amused expression.

"I, uh, should go." Jack spoke quickly before darting off, laughing.

Astrid waited until he was out of earshot. "So, that was interesting."

"It- It was a joke. He was referencing, uh, a thing. You know, that whole married thing I told you about earlier, that."

"Oh no, I kinda figured that part out. But you know, 'Sweetie Pie'," she parroted, "It's still something else to see the performance in person."

"…I kind of forgot you were there."

"I figured."

"I couldn't just let him show me up, Astrid."

She examined her nails carelessly. "_Nooooo_, not you. Way too stubborn for that."

"So, I, you know, ran with the joke too-"

"You flirted back."

"I- Wait, what? What do you mean 'back'?"

"He was flirting with you, Hiccup."

He sputtered a bit at the girl's completely disinterested tone of voice, as if the words she was saying were completely obvious and pedestrian. "What do you- No, _no_ Astrid, that wasn't-"

"You can deny it if you want, but I don't see the point in that."

"The point is that it's dumb. We were joking. That was it." Hiccup turned his flushed face away from her then, busying himself with readying his camera and preparing it to record. The players were starting to filter out onto the field, but were not yet taking any action, clearly not ready to start the game yet.

"Hiccup, I'm just an outside party, observing what I see. And from where I was sitting, that looked like flirting."

"Because you're an expert on that, with your shoulder punches and wrist-bendings." he shot back, adjusting the viewfinder.

He didn't need to turn around to know that her expression was probably annoyed. "I don't know why you're being so obstinate about this."

"There's a difference between being obstinate, and not being blindly optimistic, Astrid."

She sighed. Well, he was probably right about that one.

.

* * *

.

"Any bright ideas?" Stoick asked bitterly, seated on an overturned bucket as various men went about labor positions around him. He was seated at the edge of the docks, overlooking the sea that extended past the wharf. The waves lapped at the foundations of the wooden structure lazily, a day of low wind conditions.

Gobber paced around behind the great man's back, breathing in the salty breeze as he surveyed the note that Stoick had handed to him. "Aye, this's quite the pickle." he stated, a prosthetic hook raised to his chin to scratch at his haggard face lightly. "I always expected Spitelout'd make some kind of power grab sooner or later, but this is unexpectedly direct."

Stoick sighed irritably. A wager. An envelope filled with cash and a note, just to demonstrate how serious his brother was about making the wager the note detailed. He was no stranger to making bets with his long-estranged brother, but the nature of this one…

"Either Hiccup gains some kind of athletic accomplishment or other achievement by graduation," Stoick recited. "Or he proves once and for all that he isn't fit to take over as mayor."

"And Snotlout gets 'proven' as the rightful successor." Gobber finished, sighing. "Really, issnot as bad as it sounds, Stoick. We both know it'll be a good, long time before your stubborn self steps down. Heccup has plenty o'time to turn things around n'prove himself capable by then."

"That's not the issue, Gobber. It's a matter of reputation." Gobber rolled his eyes. "If I don't accept the wager, Spitelout tells all the other men about it, and I get painted a coward. If I do accept, and Hiccup hasn't done anything by graduation, then I lose the bet and get painted a fool. Either way, I lose face in front of the other men in the town, and Spitelout gains it."

Gobber set his jaw strongly, breathing out heavily through his crooked nose as he laid his hook on Stoick's shoulder. "Listen, old friend, I know it seems hopeless, 'nd I don't claim to understand the lad any more'n'you do. But you're walking a dangerous line with this train o'thought, Stoick. Listen t'yerself, you just had yourself a moment of bonding with him the other night, and now you're thinkin' of forcin' him into some sort of sport he doesn't want any part of, over reputation? You're just gonna push him away again."

"I know that!" Stoick snapped back, glowering. "I'm not stupid, Gobber. I know. But I don't know what else to do. You know how it works here. I have an important position to hold, and that position is based in respect. What happens if I lose that respect?"

Gobber shrugged, understanding the situation well and finding himself at a loss. "I can't tell ye, Stoick. I wish I could." he sympathized, casting his blue gaze onto the ocean as well. "Can't believe I'm sayin' this, but, would it really be so awful for Snotlout to eventually become chief? He does have the blood…"

Stoick looked to his friend almost disbelievingly. "Gobber, my father handed the position down to me, not Spitelout. I have an heir. It wouldn't be right for me to pass over Hiccup for his cousin."

Gobber's shoulders and neck rocked in tiny, circular motions, as if he was agreeing and yet not agreeing at once. "Well, Stoick, have you ever considered that Heccup might not want to be mayor?"

The two went quiet. Stoick's expression looked to be a mix between thoughtful and distressed. After a long moment, he spoke. "Go check on the men and the power lines."

Gobber nodded, silently, and departed, leaving Stoick the Vast to his thoughts.

.

* * *

.

"Ugh, come on, Snotlout, another one?" Hiccup groaned to himself, highly annoyed that he had to keep his camera fixed on his cousin while the football star performed an annoying little dance. Did he seriously have to showboat like that every time he scored a touchdown? Hiccup could almost hear the little chant he was positive his cousin must be reciting.

_Snotlout, Snotlout, oi oi oi!_

Hiccup really couldn't stand that cocky attitude. Snotlout was enough of a pain on a normal basis, but when he really got high on himself in moments like these, it was insufferable. Especially seeing as how Hiccup couldn't use his silver tongue to snap him back down to earth from this distance.

"Is he dancing again?" Astrid asked from behind him, obviously not even looking at the field anymore. Last time he looked at her, she had been staring at the sky.

"Yep. Honestly, how do these people eat it up the way they do? He's a lousy braggart."

"A lousy braggart who wins football games." Astrid amended. "And sadly, that's all that people care about."

Hiccup sighed. "Yep. If you can throw a stupidly-shaped ball or plow through a bunch of people, that's all that really matters."

"Still, it'd be nice if someone could just put him in his place for once." Astrid remarked.

Hiccup chuckled, turning to give her a quick look. "You always could."

She chuckled dryly at him, shaking her head. "You and I both know that that isn't going to happen. I don't pick fights."

"You do finish them, though." Hiccup replied, turning back to his camera.

Astrid's smirk went unseen, but was plainly evident in her voice. "If he's ever dumb enough to pick a fight with me. Or you. Then we'll see."

"I just hope you don't feel apprehensive about fighting someone who just _loves you so much_." Hiccup teased, laughing to himself at the sound of Astrid's frustrated groan.

"Can we please not talk about that?"

"But Astrid, I'm merely taking an interest in your until-now-nonexistent love life!"

"I am going to punch you, Hiccup."

"Wouldn't that be starting a fight?"

"No because that would imply you'd be fighting back." Astrid stated with smug satisfaction.

"Touché." he commended, moving his camera to trace the ball's position as it flew through the air. Someone had just punted the thing. He could hear the booming sound of the commentator over the stadium's PA system.

"_And Jorgenson catches the ball, and he's going, he's going, and…! Touchdown, Vikings! Jorgenson is on fire tonight!"_

Emerald greens glared as the brunette was forced to watch yet another victory dance while riotous cheers broke out around him. Sweeping the crowds of spectators with his camera, he even spotted Anna, leaping up and down excitedly and waving her arms, her face painted in the school's colors. That woman certainly had a lot of spirit, he'd grant her that. Still, he kind of wished he had been on Jack's side of the field – the visitors' side. Considering how much fewer scores the visiting team had been making tonight, their side was probably a lot quieter and marginally less annoying.

Speaking of Jack's side, the brunette took the current lapse in activity as an opportunity to move his camera over to the visiting side, searching for Jack. He found the white-haired teen rather quickly, but what he was not expecting to find was that, upon zooming in, it was quite clear that Jack had his own camera currently trained on Hiccup in much the same fashion. This was further illustrated by the fact that Jack seemed to notice as well, and with a smile, raised one hand to wave at Hiccup.

A fond grin broke out onto Hiccup's face as he thoughtlessly returned the gesture, waving while a fresh tint of pink visited his cheeks. He had to believe it was partially thanks to the cold that he was reacting this way – Hiccup got embarrassed pretty easily, but he knew from experience that he didn't usually blush as often as he had been doing today. Damn weather…

"What are you doing?" Astrid's voice interrupted his thoughts and he quickly dropped his hand from its waving position.

"Nothing." he grunted out quickly, returning his attention to the game.

"_We're winding down to the final play of the night, folks. Can the Vikings pull it off?"_

Hiccup scoffed. This commentary was nothing but self-congratulatory swill. The fact that the Vikings were clearly going to win the game was as obvious as the night was cold. They were leading by two touchdowns and there was enough time left for a single play. The visitors couldn't possibly win and everyone knew it. The boy contemplated the idea of simply turning off the camera now. There was hardly anything more to see.

"_And there's the handoff! Jorgenson feints! He passes! Thorston makes the sprint! And…! It's good! Touchdown Thorston! The Berk Vikings take the game!"_

The crowd erupted into more cheers and Hiccup rolled his eyes, shutting down his camera. He was ready to finally be done with this. Still, at least it had been Tuffnut to score for once, rather than Snotlout. Tuffnut at least had the decency not to dance around like an idiot.

A slight tapping at his shoulder told him Astrid had already gotten up. He turned to face her as his fingers worked on autopilot, unplugging cables and capping the lens. The girl stretched, bringing life back to unused portions of muscle and rolled her shoulders. "I'm gonna go get some burgers for the three of us while you clean up. Meet me in the parking lot, alright?"

Hiccup nodded his consent. "Sure thing, thanks."

She turned to jog away then, calling "No problem!" over her shoulder as she went. The people in the stands were still seemingly enthused, chatting animatedly amongst themselves while the first of them began to slowly trickle out of the various exits, though most seemed to want to linger and yammer to one another. Hiccup was fairly sure he'd never understand what the big appeal was about these things. Was it just the social atmosphere? He could possibly see that. But then, he also figured that if people just wanted a place to go to hang out with friends, there were probably better places to do it. Places where they didn't need to waste their time indulging the self-absorbed antics of overhyped athletes.

He grunted bitterly as he opened the plastic case for his camera, waiting on the ground for him, and began to put the object away into its cushioned compartment. "What a charming thought, that my only family is an ass-for-brains cousin, a bitter uncle who hates me, and a dad who doesn't get me. Oh, and a cat." he added to his mutterings as he retracted the camera's tripod down to its smallest size, putting it away into the case as well.

He paused then, just for a moment, as he recalled the dream he had had this morning. The dream of a memory. He had to think about it for a moment, but… hadn't he had that exact same thought in that memory, on that day all those years ago? He shook his head and refocused on coiling the camera's cable. Now was not the time to be thinking about this.

After finishing with the device, he plucked the (somewhat heavy) case up and made his way towards where he could see Mulch and the other members of the film crew standing. More of the crowd had left by now, leaving only a few isolated groups of stragglers here and there. The players had already cleared off the field, no doubt horsing around in the locker rooms to enjoy another _oh so important_ high school football win.

"Ah, and there's Hiccup." Mulch stated, noticing the boy's approach. He seemed to be the last one to bring his camera in, likely due to his being so heavily distracted in his own thoughts while he did so.

He handed the case over to the portly man, who gave him a nod and set it with the others. "Thank you, m'boy. You all did a fine job tonight, and I'm pleased to say I didn't catch any o' you lollygaggin'. Good for both of us!"

The others chuckled a bit, Jack included as he edged his way around two of the other students to stand closer to Hiccup, smiling in greeting. Hiccup flashed him a brief grin as well before directing his attention back to Mulch.

"We've got one more game before the Holidays, and then those of you that are transferring out for the elective shift will be done with the class. Do I have any early volunteers for the next game's film team?"

Hiccup raised his own hand, as he always did, despite knowing he had no desire to film these things. But, being the most experienced individual in the class, Mulch tended to rely on him a bit, which turned it into something of an obligation. He was expecting the usual response from the other students – rubbing at the backs of their necks while mumbling some excuse or another – but found that this time, another hand joined him in volunteering. He couldn't bring himself to feel any sort of surprise that it was Jack who had volunteered, his usual smirk in place. After all, Jack was probably the only one in the class who seemed to be genuinely enthused about this event.

Mulch was very evidently pleased by the presence of another volunteer. "Well, look at that! Glad to see you're on board, Jack. And you other slackers ought to be ashamed of yourselves, letting the new student put you to shame this way." He chastised the others jokingly, prompting nervous laughter and glares from them. "Alrighty, that'll do then. You can all go. Oh, but Hiccup, please hang behind to help me with final cleanup, ah?"

"Yeah, no problem." Hiccup replied, already fully aware that he would be asked to do so. He pretty much always was. He found himself wondering how Mulch was going to cope without him once he transferred to a new elective. The teacher had practically grown to use his student as a bit of a crutch over the last couple of school years, after all.

The others began to disperse without another word, probably eager to get back to their homes and out of this freezing weather. Hiccup was just glad it hadn't started snowing again. Jack gave him an inquiring look, arching an eyebrow.

"What's final cleanup?"

"Oh, he just needs me to help clean up the other cables he has running to the little media box up there." Hiccup answered pointing up at a small structure above the nearby snack stand. "And also to shut down the monitors that are up there. He just has me do it because I'm the most experienced with the equipment, it's no big thing."

"Oh. Well, should I just go then? Are we doing anything in particular…?" he asked, curious.

Hiccup chuckled at him. "Just wait out in the parking lot for me. Astrid said she's getting us burgers."

Jack's expression immediately brightened. "No arguments here, then! See you soon." And with that quick farewell, he departed (though he didn't miss the opportunity to nudge his shoulder against his friend's as he passed, almost knocking him off balance and cackling).

Hiccup sighed, though for once it couldn't be attributed to annoyance.

"Nice boy." Mulch observed from behind him, causing him to jump.

"Oh! Ah, yeah, sure." Hiccup agreed, having completely forgotten his teacher was standing like, right there.

"Well, come along then Hiccup, let's get this done quickly."

The stadium was almost completely empty now, the last of the spectators having made their departures at last, leaving the place crowd-free and much easier to work in as far as Hiccup was concerned. It couldn't have taken any longer than ten minutes to get everything handled, though Hiccup's lower back was aching mildly in protest due to the hunched posture he had maintained for the duration of that time, picking up cables that ran along the concrete floors around the field. When he had finished, he bade Mulch a farewell and made for the Stadium exit, breathing a frost cloud into the cool night air. Casting his gaze upward, he could see the moon shining brightly, belatedly noticing that today had been rather devoid of clouds that would normally blot out such light.

His roaring stomach alerted him to the ever-growing need for sustenance, and he laughed to himself. "Hope those burgers are still hot when I get there." he said, tucking his hands deeper into his pockets as he navigated toward the parking lot, nearly tripping along the way when his left foot got caught up in an upraised tree root that he hadn't noticed. He fell forward, managing to catch himself on the edge of the chain link fence surrounding the lot, grunting in annoyance. "Damn thing…"

When he lifted his eyes away from his foot and the root, however, the mossy pools expanded in the tell-tale signs of encroaching dread. Up ahead, leaning against the car that Hiccup knew to belong to none other than Snorri Jorgenson, was Jack. And surrounding Jack on all sides was a team of annoyed-looking teens, some still wearing their football jerseys as they gave the boy venomous looks. Easily the least pleased of the bunch was Snotlout himself, who was glaring dangerously at Jack and shoving himself into the boy's personal space.

"I'm giving you your last warning." he growled, thick eyebrows pulled into a fierce expression as he balled his fists, tightening his arms.

"And I already told you I'm not apologizing." Jack responded, and were it not for the serious expression on his face, Hiccup would have assumed he hadn't a care in the world. But his own glare, one of hardened sapphire edge, spoke volumes for how clearly irritated he himself was. "You're being completely ridiculous, meathead."

"Hey, hey, what's going on here?" Hiccup called, stepping up to the crowd cautiously, worry evident in his voice.

Snotlout broke his eye contact with Jack, looking in the direction of the small Viking boy before making a dismissive gesture with his hand. "Stay out of this, Hiccup. Everything will be just fine if you're little friend here offers me a _heartfelt_ apology."

"For what?" Hiccup demanded, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

"For leaning on my car. And look at him! He's still doing it. Clearly isn't taking the hint."

"Oh, have you been dropping hints?" Jack asked innocently. "I couldn't tell, really, most of what I hear when you open your mouth are just guttural grunts, like "ugga ugga" and stuff like that."

Snotlout's sneer redoubled as he grabbed ahold of Jack's hoodie, pulling him forward and raising his fist threateningly. "Do I need to teach you a lesson, new guy?"

The surrounding members of the team all looked particularly tantalized at the display, apparently eager for the prospect of violence.

"Snotlout, stop!" Hiccup called, trying to shove past a couple of them. They seemed to be refusing to budge.

"That depends," Jack answered, never dropping his careless ruse. "Is it a lesson in cave-speak? Because if it's not, I don't think you're qualified to teach it."

Hiccup continued to push and shove. "Jack, stop it, you're just gonna-"

"Last chance, Jack!" Snotlout shouted, cutting him off.

Jack grinned. "How does it feel knowing that your only remarkable skills are throwing a ball and hilariously bad dancing?"

The large, angry teen pulled his fist back and brought it flying forward, crushing into Jack's abdomen with enough force that a pocket of air could be heard _clapping_ as he made contact. Jack's mouth gaped open as the wind was knocked from his body, eyes going wide. Hiccup shouted and finally managed to shove past a few of the other players, rushing in to roughly shove Snotlout with as much force as he could muster. He succeeded in getting his cousin to drop Jack, who fell to his knees instantly, clutching his stomach and gasping for breath.

Unfortunately, he also succeeded in shoving Snotlout surprisingly roughly against his own car, bumping into it with a none-too-pleasant sound. Snotlout turned his fuming gaze to Hiccup, whose eyes widened at the frighteningly livid expression on his face, and before the brunette had a chance to react Snotlout had whipped his fist back and flung it forward, smacking right into the underside of Hiccup's jaw.

Red hot pain blossomed where bone had met bone, and Hiccup felt himself going down like a sack of potatoes, the back of his head smacking hard against the concrete of the parking lot. He couldn't tell if the stars he was seeing were actually in the sky or a trick of his mind, but he guessed at the latter seeing as how everything started going dark after that.

Vaguely, he could hear Snotlout's voice, shouting. "Hiccup!" Was that worry? Why on earth… then there was another sound, a furious, roar-like sound, but he had no time to digest it or figure out what it could be before everything was black.

.

* * *

.

Astrid charged so fast that Snotlout literally hadn't seen what was coming to him before it was too late. His eyes widened in a clear expression of fear as the girl leaped, smacking into him in a flying tackle that sent them both plummeting to the hard ground. Astrid felt her pants tear and the skin on her knees shred as the two skidded to a halt, the girl straddling the surprised, wincing teen, but she didn't care about the pain. Instead she raised her fists without a moment's hesitation and began a furious assault on Snotlout's face, loosing one punch after another to his jaw, cheeks, brow, eyes, nose, anywhere she could hit.

"WHAT. THE HELL. DO YOU THINK. YOU'RE DOING!?" she emphasized every demanding staccato with another blow, and Snotlout was now raising his arms in an effort to protect his face from further damage. But she wouldn't let up, blind fury guiding her actions. "HOW. FUCKING. DARE YOU."

She reared back for yet another strike, but the other players had acted by then, finally grabbing at the mighty warrior maiden's arms and hoisting her off of their star player. She kicked and struggled furiously, but they held tightly, their faces full of apprehension as they did their best to hold the raging beast of a girl.

She began to breathe raggedly, bringing herself back to her senses as she watched Tuffnut approach Snotlout, helping him to his feet and surveying the heavy bruises and blood – yes, blood, she noted with satisfaction – that decorated his face now. Then she looked over to see Jack, still winded but kneeling beside Hiccup, an incredible amount of concern on his features. She was still livid, there was no question, but she found she could think much more rationally now, and rather than continue struggling against her captors, she simply pulled her arms in, bringing their hands closer to her before quickly grabbing their wrists, one in both hands, and bending them backwards painfully.

The two boys released her immediately, howling in pain at the sensation – she could have easily fractured those brittle bones if she had wanted. She relinquished her grip on them after a moment, moving away so that she could join Jack at Hiccup's side. Her eyes swept up and down his still form, seeing the large bruise that was already very visible on his chin, and she moved her hand to the back of his head then, feeling the tender flesh. She breathed a slight sigh of relief; there was no bleeding, at least.

"Is… is he okay?" she heard Snotlout's voice, and her gaze hardened again as she spun to glare daggers at him.

"'Is he okay?' He's knocked out on the asphalt, Snotlout, because of what _you_ did! What the hell do you think!"

"I-I'm sorry, Astrid, I didn't mean-"

"Save it! Just fucking save it, Snotlout! Get the hell out of my sight, and don't you dare speak to me again! You think I'm interested in someone like you, who does this to my friends? Not on your damn _life_, you ingrate! So just do us all a favor and disappear!"

To say that Snotlout's expression was hurt would have been an understatement. Even through the mask of bruises and blood, it was clear that he looked outright devastated. Astrid found herself wondering if she'd gone too far, but the more dominant part of herself, the part that was very, _very _angry right now, chose to ignore that feeling.

He shook his head very slowly at her, almost disbelievingly so, and his eyes fell onto his cousin then, an expression of fear appearing. But after a moment had passed, he fixed his countenance into an angry scowl, shoving his team mates away from him and stepping past Astrid and Jack. He climbed into his car quickly, angrily shouting "He brought it on himself!" before slamming the car door, driving off moments later to the sound of skidding rubber.

Astrid had not missed the way his voice shook and warbled with those words, and she almost wondered if the boy had honestly been about to cry. In her present frame of mind, she couldn't feel anything more than vindication at the thought.

It didn't take long for the other players to depart, all hushed and awkward, trying to get as far away from the scene as they could, and as quickly as possible.

"Astrid?" the girl turned her gaze back to Jack, softening at the sight of his genuine concern and the sound of his strained voice. He was still clutching his stomach. "_Is _he alright?"

"I don't know, Jack." she responded, sad and uncertain. "He's out cold, but he's not bleeding. He might have a concussion."

"Oh no…" Jack wheezed. "What do we do?"

"Probably get him to a hospital." She started to stand, wincing at the pain of her skinned knees that she was now more aware of.

"Wait. What's he doing?"

Astrid looked down at the unconscious boy, noticing what Jack was seeing. Hiccup appeared to be heaving slightly, almost as if he was… Tears rolled down his cheeks, and she realized that he was, indeed, crying. He opened his mouth. "Mom…"

Astrid went shock still and Jack looked at her, bewildered. He had gone silent again after that word, but the tears kept coming.

"I'm calling Ruff." Astrid spoke simply, pulling out her phone.

.

* * *

.

The most immediate feeling was alarm. After all, one does not simply wake up in the back of a moving car and not get a little freaked out by it. His heart was pumping erratically, his eyes looking around frantically, but he was afraid to move. There was a sharp pain in the back of his skull, and a dull ache on his jaw, and he was frightened of what might happen if he did something he shouldn't.

And then he heard a voice, a familiar one, sounding incredibly relieved. "Guys! He's awake!"

Hiccup's swimming vision seemed to clear a bit and he realized he was staring up at Jack's smiling face. And then after a few more beats, realized he was laying down with his head on the boy's lap. Oh, what fresh hell was this…

"Hiccup, are you alright?" That was Astrid. He looked ahead, seeing her peeking around the edge of the front passenger seat, smiling.

"I'm not sure. What's going on? Where am I?"

"You're in my car." Was that…?

"Ruffnut?"

"Yeah. Astrid called me and asked me to come get you guys after Snotlout punched your lights out."

Oh yeah. That's what had happened.

"To be fair, it was mostly the concrete that knocked him out." Jack added, somewhat playfully. Then Hiccup remembered that Jack had been punched too.

"Are you okay, Jack? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"Pft, nah." Jack waved his hand lackadaisically, smiling down at the auburn head in his lap. "Winded me, left a bit of an ache, but I'm fine. You're the one we were worried about."

"Yeah." Astrid added, sighing heavily and carding a hand through her fringe of flaxen hair. "We thought you might have a concussion. But the fact that you've woken up on your own is pretty reassuring regarding that."

"Does that mean we don't have to go to the hospital?" Ruffnut asked from the front, though Hiccup still couldn't see her. She didn't seem thrilled with the idea of taking them there in the first place.

"No, no hospitals." Hiccup answered before Astrid could open her mouth. "I don't need to make this any bigger than it is. Just, take me home, please. I'll be fine."

"Hiccup…" Astrid interjected, uncertain.

"Sounds good to me." Ruffnut answered, ignoring her, and Hiccup felt the vehicle lurch as she made what was probably a quick U-turn.

"Does my dad know this happened?" he asked.

Astrid shook her head at him. "No. Not yet, at least. I'll bet he'll hear about it sooner or later, though. I mean, you've kind of got a giant bruise on your chin."

"Yeah, not to mention Astrid completely beat Snotlout to hell."

Hiccup found himself smirking. "She did? I'm sorry I missed that." There was a grunt of annoyance from Ruffnut, but she said nothing about it. Astrid gave her a mixed expression.

Hiccup took a deep breath and attempted to sit up, but found that he was pressed back down immediately, Jack's hands on his chest. "Hey, hey, not so fast Hic. You're awake, yeah, but I think you should probably stay lying down until the car stops moving, alright?"

Astrid had turned back to face forward, and he was pretty sure that Ruffnut was watching the road, but even so Hiccup felt incredibly embarrassed to be in in this situation, resting his head on another guy's lap while the two of them were seriously _right there_. The fact that it was a guy he happened to harbor romantic feelings for wasn't helping the situation or the intimacy of it all, and he found himself becoming a bit hot and bothered. After all, a lap, you know, is the same place where… other things are, uh, located. The icing on the cake, of course, was the manner in which Jack simply rested his hands on him, one pale hand rested warmly against the brunette's chest and the other off to the side of his head. Hiccup was almost positive he could feel fingers messing with a few strands of his hair, but chose not to voice the observation. Jack didn't seem to be looking at him right now, anyway, focusing instead on the conversation up front. Hiccup only just now noticed he had been tuning it out.

"…just can't believe him." Astrid was griping. Probably about Snotlout. "Ruffnut, how do you honestly stomach him every day? Why do you hang around him? I mean he-"

"Okay, Astrid? That's enough." the other girl cut in, sounding just as annoyed as ever. "Look, I was nice enough to answer your call and pick you guys up, so I'd rather you not talk trash about my friend, alright?"

"I'm sorry, Ruff, but I don't see why I shouldn't. He deserves it after what he did."

"And what did he do, exactly? Give Hiccup a punch to the face, knock him out, yeah, okay. What did you do? You beat his face in. A lot. But you don't see me avoiding you."

"I was acting in retaliation."

"Yeah, and that's cool, and I think it's awesome how much of his ass you kicked." Ruffnut agreed, a smirk audible in her words. She did always have something of an appreciation for violence. "But he's still my friend. And what you did to him is honestly worse, I think, than what he did to Hiccup or Jack. Besides, he probably feels awful about it."

"Awful?" Astrid replied with a humorless laugh. "Please. I highly doubt that."

"Yeah, well, you don't really know anything, Astrid!" Ruff cut in again, anger much more apparent this time. "So just clam up."

A tense silence filled the vehicle then, Hiccup keeping his own mouth shut. Jack seemed to be doing the same, looking out the window now. He was pretty sure he heard Astrid mutter a quiet "Sorry", but she said nothing further.

The remainder of the trip passed this way, and Hiccup almost wanted to gasp in relief when the car finally came to a slow halt, apparently having arrived at his house.

Astrid opened her door and stepped out, poking her head back in briefly. "Can you wait here for me and Jack? Or are we walking home?"

Ruffnut seemed to roll her eyes. "I'll wait. I guess."

"Thanks."

She closed the door and moved on to Jack's, opening it wide and offering her hand to Hiccup.

"Careful, Hic." Jack instructed as Hiccup slowly sat up, stepping out of the car and leaning on Astrid for support. Jack got out after them, shutting his door and stepping up to his other side, offering the brunette teen a second crutch.

He felt woozy. As soon as he was on his feet he felt his head spinning, a fresh new wave of pain flooding through him. He grunted lowly and swayed a bit, relying on his two friends to remain standing.

"Can you walk?" Astrid asked.

He nodded very slowly after a moment, and the trio made their way up his driveway and toward his door.

"It doesn't look like your dad is home." Jack observed, noting the absence of any lights on in the house. "Is that unusual?"

"He should have been home by now." Hiccup replied. "But I think I like this better." They arrived at the front door and Hiccup wordlessly handed Astrid his keys. She made quick work of unlocking the entrance and helped him inside, she and Jack seating him down onto the couch in the living room.

"Do you need anything?" Astrid asked.

"An ice pack would be great." he answered, listening for the sounds of Toothless coming down the stairs. The cat was either asleep or had simply not heard them yet, somehow.

"I'll get on that." Jack spoke up, rushing to the kitchen to rifle through the freezer.

Astrid was moving around the living room, flipping on a few lights. Hiccup blinked at the brightness. "Sorry. But you're going to need to be able to see where you're going."

Hiccup nodded mutely.

Jack returned a moment later with the ice, handing it to Hiccup. He quickly moved it to the back of his head, sighing at the numbing cool that it brought with him. "That already feels a lot better." He then glanced up at his two friends, both of whom were looking at him anxiously. "You know, your eyes are probably going to pop out of your head if you keep staring like that."

Jack chuckled, glad to see Hiccup in his usual spirits. "Well, that might be doing me a favor. Wouldn't have to look at your ugly mug anymore."

"Ha ha ha, Jack." Hiccup replied. He smiled softly.

"Is there anything else we can do?" Astrid asked.

"No, I should be okay. You two should probably go, before my dad gets back. I'm just going to head up to bed. With any luck this bruise will have gone down a bit before I see him again and I can explain it away." he instructed, tapping his fingers against his chin and wincing slightly.

The two exchanged looks with one another. "Alright. Take care of yourself, and be careful going up the stairs." Astrid advised with a mothering tone, making her way towards the front door again.

Jack backed up after her, his pace slower as he seemed to refuse to take his eyes off of Hiccup, his good-natured mask giving way to more worry. Eventually he conceded to wave. "Take care. Let me know how you're doing later."

Hiccup smirked and nodded. "Sure thing, Snowflake."

Jack grinned at the name. "Later, Hummingbird." And with that he followed Astrid out.

The front door was closed and Hiccup was wrapped in silence. He wasn't sure how long he sat there on the couch, long after the sound of Ruffnut's car had faded into the distance, swaying in his seat as he held the ice to his wounded head. But however long it had been, he eventually determined he should head upstairs and make good on his word.

He stood, carefully, finding he was more steady on his feet now than he had been earlier, and paced his way over to the steps. With one hand on the banister, he slowly made his way up, one cautious step at a time, ever wary of possible slipups from his left foot. Even something that he hardly ever noticed anymore could certainly be a problem in a circumstance like this one. However, much to his pride, he had managed to reach the landing with no slipups, and in his relief, nearly tripped on the carpet as he made his way to his room.

He sighed, catching himself on the bathroom door as he had started to go down, before righting himself and resuming his journey. When he finally arrived within his room, all he wanted to do was collapse onto his bed. Probably not the best idea with a head injury, though. As he had suspected, Toothless was curled up near his pillow, snoozing and apparently unaware of his presence.

"Ever alert, huh Toothless?" he asked, rousing the cat as it blinked blearily at him, taking a mighty yawn. The teen stepped over to his bed and lowered his ice pack, feeling it had started to become mostly water anyway, and shed his large coat. He proceeded to lie down very carefully, resting his head on his pillow and trying to ignore the uncomfortable sensation of blood moving to the back of his head with the motion. The pain cleared after a moment, though, and he released a held breath as Toothless climbed onto his chest. The cat nosed at his wounded jaw.

"That's Snotlout's handiwork, bud. Looks like he finally snapped and hit me." His half-lidded gaze searched the ceiling for nothing in particular. "I had a feeling it was only a matter of time. Still, why did Jack have to be such an idiot? He should have just apologized. It was stupid, yes, but it would have been better, for both of us."

Toothless mewed softly, questioningly.

"He poked the bear, Toothless. And the bear attacked."

The feline did not seem pleased, his eyes set in a hard glower as he looked over the wound again. He growled lowly.

"Yeah well, next time you see him, you have my permission to attack." Hiccup joked, scratching the cat's ears. For the second time that day he felt his pocket vibrate, Astrid's familiar ringtone playing. He made quick work of answering the call. "Hello, Astrid."

"_How are you feeling?"_

"I'm fine, Astrid. Didn't you guys like, just leave? Sheesh."

"_Hiccup we left an hour ago."_

"It's been that long already?"

"_Oh, that's not worrying to hear at all…"_

"Relax, relax, I'm fine. I'm just lying in bed with Toothless now. But I have to ask, was it your bright idea to put my head in Jack's lap?"

There was a light, breathy sound on the other line. A suppressed laugh. _"Actually no. That was all Jack. He was actually pretty awesome, Hiccup. Refused to leave your side."_

Oh, wonderful. A case of butterflies in his belly was just what Hiccup needed right now. Maybe he'd vomit! Wouldn't that be just grand? "Is that right."

"_Yep. Also, Hiccup. I think I should tell you… You were kind of crying in your sleep."_

"…Pardon?"

"_Tears, Hiccup. You know, the wet little things that come out of your eyes when bad things happen."_

"Why?"

"_I don't know why, for sure. I think I heard you say something but I don't know. I just thought you'd like to know. Jack saw it, so. If he mentions it to you…"_

A mighty groan. "Perfect. That's just fantastic."

"_Look, he didn't think it was weird though, alright? He just kept on right by you. I doubt he'll even say anything. I just thought you should know, okay? Anyway, you should get some sleep. Spend tomorrow resting."_

Hiccup yawned. "I guess. Alright. Sure." He could feel a knot in his stomach. Jack had seen him crying, while he was sleeping. And Hiccup could imagine why.

"_You're sure you're okay?"_

"I don't know, Astrid."

The girl seemed to understand that he wasn't quite talking about his injury anymore. _"…Just get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow."_

"Alright. Goodnight."

The two hung up, and Hiccup stared at Toothless, whose knowing eyes never left his own, green meeting green.

"I had the dream again, buddy. The one with mom."

The cat lowered its head onto Hiccup's chest, purring in a comforting manner as it nestled further into him. Hiccup hugged his cat close, and eventually, drifted into a sleep.

He was not so fortunate for it to be a dreamless one.

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**Well, I think that that's the longest one so far. Also, I try not to be too excessive with the language, but if it's too inappropriate, I could always bump the rating.**

**Lastly, I'd like to make a special request for my readers. If you guys are following and enjoying this story, could you please leave a review? It doesn't even need to be a long one; just a sentence even is fine. I just like to get feedback, it helps me motivate. I'd really appreciate it!**


	6. Render Background

**Okay so firstly I'd like to apologize for the delay (three days late, wowie); I basically got really dumb with my scheduling here, haha. But here it is, and it's also much longer than normal – a super chapter, if you will. This may or may not be a good thing, depending on your preferences regarding chapter length.**

**Also, I would like to thank all of the reviewers from the bottom of my heart, including all of you guest reviewers whom I could not respond to directly. I think one of you also tried to leave me contact information but it didn't appear?**

**I don't really have anything else to say on this chapter other than I hope it doesn't suck too much or drag on too long. The events were all kinda necessary, but still. Anyway, hope you enjoy. (I'm never doing an Authors Note this long again).**

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**Chapter 6**

**Render Background**

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Hiccup could think of several, arguably much better ways to get up in the morning than to the sounds of incessant knocking at his front door. Incessant, loud, annoying, rapid knocking that took maybe two seconds worth of a break in between fifteen seconds of continuous rapping. Hiccup was already in an ill humor as it was, having woken up with a terrible headache, and as he trudged his way down the stairs and towards the front door, scratching himself in odd places and blinking the sleep from his eyes with Toothless hot on his heels, he found himself mumbling curses under his breath and wishes for malady to strike whomever was causing this disturbance.

"Alright, alright, I'm coming, would you hold your-"

He opened the door, irritability clear on his face, until he saw a familiar head of white hair and what looked like a relieved smile. "Hiccup. Hi. Hey."

Hiccup blinked, confusion replacing his irritation and wondering if he was still half asleep and was just imagining this. "…Jack? Why are you here?"

He was greeted by a very obviously bashful expression, Jack reaching up to rub at the back of his neck a bit, laughing to himself as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Hiccup noted he wasn't wearing his usual blue hoodie. He raised an eyebrow at that. Was he just running around in that thin-looking tee shirt? In this weather?

"Ah, well, I wanted to check on you."

Hiccup almost scoffed. "You wanted to check on me?"

Jack nodded. "Yeah I mean, after your head injury last night… I mean, Astrid was pretty sure it wasn't a concussion but hey, you never know, ah, right? Haha…"

The brunette could feel his heartbeat picking up just slightly with a pleasant, fond warmth, and he smirked in an amused fashion at his friend, shaking his head. Beside him, he could feel Toothless simply sitting and watching, tail swishing about in its usual observant fashion.

"You could have just texted me, you know. Probably would have been faster." Hiccup replied.

Jack still seemed embarrassed as he squirmed on Hiccup's doorstep. "Yeah, I guess. But, I mean, I don't know. Just wanted to make sure you were taken care of."

Eyelids drooped a bit as Hiccup leaned himself against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest as the cool air outside began to become noticeably chillier. "Well, I'm good, thanks. Bit of a headache, which your knocking didn't really help, but otherwise good."

"Ahh, sorry about that… you weren't answering, so I thought…"

Hiccup coughed, getting increasingly more flustered at Jack's concern, and straightened up again. "Well, that's a shock." he replied, snarky.

Jack glanced up. "What is?"

"You, thinking."

"Hey!"

Hiccup chuckled into his fist, his typical sarcastic glint in his eyes. "So, will there be anything else, Jack?"

His friend rolled his eyes a bit, but kept his jovial expression in place. "Actually, yeah. If you're feeling up to it, you want to come outside and hang out with me for a while? I mean it's Sunday, so, nothing really to do, haha."

The brunette's lips were pursed softly at this, as he gave the matter a legitimate thinking over. "…No, I don't think I feel up to it, sorry. Head and all. I think I'm just gonna, you know, stay indoors where it's warm and carpeted and all that."

"Oh, that's fine!" Jack chirped in response. And before Hiccup was sure of what was going on, the other boy was suddenly moving him gently aside and as he crossed over the threshold, kicking off his shoes and inviting himself in.

Hiccup spun and stared after him, glaring half-heartedly as Jack plopped himself down on the couch. "And just what do you think you're doing?"

"Well if you're not up to going outside, then we can just hang out here, right?" he responded innocently, blinking widely a couple of times for effect. "I mean, I went and walked over here in the freezing cold to see _my good buddy_ Hiccup. It sure would be crummy of him to turn me away _now_."

"Your _good buddy _didn't even know you were coming." Hiccup shot back, though the defeated air of his retort made it perfectly obvious that he really had no intention of fighting this. He sighed as he shut the door behind him, Toothless giving Jack a rather meaningful-looking glare. This only elicited a cheeky grin from the youth.

"I won't stay too long, Hic." he assured with a mild rumble in his throat, voice softening a touch.

Hiccup merely shook his head, a muttering of "It's fine" slipping from his lips as he dragged his feet across the carpet and sat himself next to his friend. The two sat in silence for several minutes, and in that precious moment Hiccup found himself pleasantly forgetting that he was sitting next a boy whom he happened to be incredibly attracted to and was also rather fond of on an emotional scale. It didn't last, however, when Jack brought up how very alone they were.

"Sooo… is your dad not home?"

Ah, right. His dad. Hiccup swallowed and told himself that any traces of suggestive interest he thought he heard in Jack's question were entirely fabricated by his imagination. "Uh, I guess not? I mean, he was supposed to be. He usually takes Sunday off."

"Hah, I didn't know that he mayor was allowed to take a day off."

"Yeah, well, when you work as hard all week as he does, I think the town can survive a day without you."

Jack hummed. "He _does_ seem to work hard, I'll give you that. Was still pretty surprised that he came out at midnight just to greet us when we arrived in town."

"That's Stoick the Vast for you." Hiccup replied, earning him a quizzical look.

"Stoick the Vast?"

"Oh, you hadn't heard? Yeah that's basically his title. Guess you could call it another Viking thing – most of us have some kind of special title that is bestowed upon us when we get older. Mark of adulthood, I guess."

Jack seemed interested at this, turning himself on the couch to face Hiccup more fully. "Do you have one?"

Hiccup chuckled at the boy's enthusiasm. "No, not yet. I'm not even legal yet. But I've heard some people toss around 'Hiccup the Useless'."

This caused the other boy to frown. "Well that's not really cool."

"I'm mostly sure they're joking, Jack. Mostly."

"Yeah, well," Jack replied, plucking up the remote control from the coffee table. "I think 'Hiccup the Smartass', or 'Hiccup the Accident-Prone' probably makes more sense anyway."

"And what makes you so sure I'm accident-prone?" the freckled boy asked, puffing his chest out comically and flexing his arms in an exaggerated fashion. "I may have gotten laid out last night, but it was fluke, I say! Give me another round with Snotlout and I'll show him what for, hup hup."

Jack dropped the remote just as the TV flickered to life, falling forward as he brought his arms to his belly to restrain his laughter. It obviously wasn't helping as he had himself a miniature fit over Hiccup's performance and (incredibly dramatic) voice, kicking his legs a bit.

"Okay Jack come on, I know I'm not that intimidating, but is this much laughter really necessary?"

The blue-eyed teenager looked up at Hiccup through messy white bangs, snorting in a most unattractive fashion. "Hiccup you're more than not intimidating, you're like the exact opposite. You being intimidating is like a kitten being angry!"

"Hey!" Hiccup shot back, affronted. "I am offended, sir. I will not stand for this!" And then he snapped his fingers. "Toothless."

Jack's laughter turned into a yowl as he suddenly found himself with a knee-full of cat claws, pressed threateningly through the fabric of his pants and against the skin, but not quite penetrating. Yet. He glanced down beside him to see that Toothless had hopped up onto the couch upon command, the obvious owner of the offending claws. The cat looked up at Jack and the boy _swore_ that the feline's expression was one of total, assured smugness.

"…You can seriously sic your cat on people?"

"Yep. And he'll cut you up if I tell him to." Hiccup added, smiling darkly.

"…You know, Hic, I think I may have been a bit hasty there." Jack spoke, slowly. "You're plenty intimidating, definitely. And so is an angry kitten."

"Thank you. Toothless you can let him go now."

The cat delicately lifted his claws from the boy's knee, earning a relieved sigh as Toothless proceeded to nonchalantly lick his paw. Jack smirked at the display before reaching out a tentative hand to rest on the large Burmese's head, scratching his ears. Toothless released a low purr in response.

"Impressive." Hiccup remarked. "He's actually letting you pet him on your second meeting. Pretty big accomplishment there, Jack."

"I'm clearly loved by animals." Jack replied. Toothless shot him a look and hopped off the couch, marching away with his tail in the air. "…Or not."

Snickers were exchanged as Hiccup picked up the discarded remote, flipping channels through the variety of _nothing_ that so seemed to perpetuate Sunday afternoon programming. Honestly, you'd think that TV stations would learn to start putting something useful on TV during the days when the most people were actually home…

"Do you want anything to eat, Jack?" Hiccup asked as he lazily scrolled the channels, finding a somewhat amusing-looking cartoon show and deciding to settle on that.

Jack's attention seemed to have been just as drawn to the display, but he snapped it back to Hiccup and nodded. "Yeah, I could always go for some chow."

"Right this way, then." Hiccup instructed as the two stood from the couch and crossed over into the large kitchen, leaving the TV on as they went, to provide a filter of background noise. "Our fridge pretty much always has a big selection, so, what do you feel like having?" he asked. He noted his headache had started to fade on him. This was good.

"I'm good for whatever. Just a snack is fine, Hic, nothing big."

"Sandwiches it is, then." Hiccup replied, rifling through the refrigerator and digging out some lunch meet, cheeses, and anything else that looked even mildly appetizing. "So how are you holding up?" Hiccup asked as he worked. "You sure your stomach is okay?"

Jack seemed confused by the question for a few moments, understanding making its way slowly onto his features. "Oh, what? Pft, yeah man, I'm fine. Not like I've never been punched in the stomach before, come on."

"Oh is that so?" Hiccup asked as he stood up with a collection of supplies cradled in his arms, kicking the fridge door shut as he turned toward the counter. "Do you make a habit of getting into stupid fights, then?"

The other boy's mouth opened and closed quickly, a quiet sigh escaping him. "…Yeah, look, I'm sorry about that." he answered sheepishly, glancing down at his feet. "I really shouldn't have done that, it's pretty much completely my fault that you got smacked."

Hiccup felt only the absolute slightest of warmth reach his cheeks, though he didn't find it hard to ignore it. "Don't worry about it, Jack, what matters is we're both fine. Just don't make a habit of that, alright?"

"Promise." Jack replied, nodding.

Hiccup smirked. "Promise?"

"Yeah. I mean, last night could have ended up being really, really serious. I don't want to be responsible for something like that happening again." There, once again, was that strange and endearingly earnest attitude Hiccup had noted in his friend a few times now. A serious expression that seemed to only appear once every so often, but which spoke volumes for how seriously he intended to be taken. "So yeah, I promise. Snotlout's a tool, but I'm not gonna mess with him anymore. Not while you're around, at least." he decided to add with a chuckle.

What a strange thing it was to be taken so off guard by sincerity. It was merely the act of one human being conveying their feelings to another, and yet it had such a way of shocking others when it occurred. Perhaps humans were just naturally guarded creatures. Hiccup certainly knew that _he_ was.

He nodded though, smiling appreciatively. "Thank you, Jack. I would appreciate that. For your own good as well as mine, mind you."

Jack laughed as he stepped over to join Hiccup by the counter, grabbing himself some bread slices and beginning to put together his own snack. "Yeah, well, I'm still pretty sure he'll think twice about messing with you again after what Astrid did to him. I mean you've got a pretty mean bruise under your chin, but _Snotlout_, I'm almost looking forward to seeing what his face looks like tomorrow."

Hiccup had almost completely forgotten about his chin. He sighed, carding his hands through his bangs. "Is it still really noticeable? I don't want my dad seeing it and asking questions."

Jack smiled wryly. "Yeaaah, it's pretty clear still. Gone down a little, I think? But," Hiccup felt cool fingers against his chin and his eyes widened realizing Jack was touching the bruise lightly and inspecting it with a careful gaze. "Still pretty obvious that there's been some damage."

Hiccup swallowed, feeling those fingers lingering for some odd reason. "Y-yeah?"

Jack blinked, pulling his hand away, and Hiccup got the impression that he'd probably just realized what he'd been doing. "Er, uh, yeah. But hey! It's under your chin so I mean. You could always make up an excuse for how you got it. Like maybe you fell or something. I mean it doesn't look exactly like a punch, so…"

The two shared in an awkward laugh as they resumed building their sandwiches, Hiccup immediately seeking a change of subject. "Well, the good news is pretty soon I'll be done with football games altogether. Elective shift coming up and all."

"Oh yeah, that's right." Jack replied absently, spreading mayonnaise on his bread. "Then it's over to Home Ec, right?"

"Well, for me, yeah. Since I'm shifting out and all."

"Ah, well." Jack seemed nervous, almost. "I kinda decided I'd do it too."

"Oh?" Hiccup asked, heart beating faster for what was probably a _really dumb reason_.

"Yeah, I mean. Film Production is really cool so far and all, but I mean. Taking Home Ec with you and Fishlegs and Astrid sounds like it'll be a lot more fun than sticking around in there."

Freckles crinkled on the skin as a tiny smirk found its way to Hiccup's face. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it?"

"You know it."

"Well, that's cool. We'll be glad to have you. I could use a little extra fun to distract me from the looming stress and all." Hiccup added, picking up the ingredients he and Jack had finished using and taking them back to the fridge.

"Looming stress?" Jack asked, taking a bite out of his.

"Yeah, you know," Hiccup called back absently as he bent forward to put a few items in drawers. "What with the showcase coming up not too much longer after break ends."

Jack blinked (simultaneously snapping himself away from the seriously weird stares he had just caught himself aiming at his brunette friend's bent over rear (_like seriously Jack, what the hell?_)) and processed that statement, rather sure that this was the first he'd heard of it. "Uhm, showcase, Hic? What's that? Another school thing?"

Hiccup stood and closed the door again, thinking to himself and realizing with some embarrassment that Jack had no clue what he was talking about. "Oh, right. That's not a thing I've told you about it, is it?"

The other boy shook his head, mouth full.

"Ah, well. Okay so there's this traveling showcase thing, basically, for art. It started up over in London years ago, and gradually spread to other places. Basically they travel around the country and make stops in different spots, and participants submit their art for review."

"Whoa. That sounds really cool!" Jack replied, smiling at the idea. "So you submitted?"

"Well yeah, like a month ago. I wasn't honestly expecting much but then Anna got back to me and told me they'd accepted my entry. I was pretty excited about that, but I found out recently that uh, my submission is actually going to be one of the pieces on center display."

Jack's mouth gaped, clearly not understanding all of the implications of that, but seeming to know it was a big deal. "…That's good, though, right?"

"Not in my opinion." Hiccup sighed, taking a bite of his own sandwich and speaking around a mouthful. "I mean, it's a huge honor, it really is but… Anna has told me that the pieces that make it to center get graded a lot more harshly than any of the other pieces. I mean I was happy just to find out that something I'd done would be seen by those judges at all, I wasn't really expecting anything big out of it. But now they'll actually be," he brought his left hand up, bending his fingers as if gripping empty air, a frustrated look on his face. "They'll be _seriously judging_. I'm probably going to be a tiny fish in a huge pond next to the other center display pieces, and…"

Jack could tell he wasn't going to finish the sentence, and he frowned. "So… what, you're worried it's not gonna be good enough and you're gonna be ridiculed or something?"

Hiccup glared at him and took a petulant bite from his sandwich.

Jack sighed. "Hiccup, I can honestly say that you seem like one of the most confident guys I've ever met in the most subtle of ways."

He stared.

"Well I mean. You know how to stand up for yourself, and you're smart, and you _know_ you're smart, and you always have something witty to say, so like." The boy shrugged. "Why do you have to be so doubtful of your own artwork?"

"Because Jack, when it comes right down to it, artists, writers, we're all a dime a dozen, and if you don't stand out in front of the professionals then you'll be lucky to even _make_ a dime." Jack seemed to delve into deep thought now, tapping his foot quietly on the kitchen tile and finishing his sandwich. Hiccup opted to take advantage of the silence and followed suit.

"Alright then." Jack spoken then, dusting his fingers of crumbs. "Last time I insisted your work was probably great, you said that I didn't know what I was talking about because I'd never seen it. So show me some of your work."

The Haddock boy might have known that a request like that was forthcoming. Even so, it took him by surprise, and he found himself casting his gaze everywhere, as if instinctively looking for an escape.

"Hiccup, come on."

A sigh. "Fine."

And with no further words shared on the matter, the two made the quiet trip out into the living room, ignored the still-active television, scaled the stairs, and crossed down the hall into Hiccup's bedroom, the door wide open.

Jack stepped into the familiar space and grinned, relishing in the fact that he had been invited this time and trying to take advantage of this second chance to look around and notice things. Hiccup, meanwhile, was rummaging around in desk drawers, pulling out various sheets of paper and arranging them into stacks.

"Here." he stated quickly, interrupting Jack's exploratory gaze as he shoved the stack of papers into his chest.

Jack smiled. "Thank you." He then proceeded to drop noisily down onto his bottom (catching Toothless's attention, perched on Hiccup's bed), crossed his legs and immediately began to look over the drawings.

He was greeted by the sight of dragons, people, and houses. This first page was clearly all doodles, little scribbles here and there, but even so, the detail was exceptional. He squinted, wondering to himself at how Hiccup had managed to squeeze that much detail into what looked like a scribble at a glance. He moved onto the next page. More dragons. This kid really did seem to love them. He found himself smiling at the almost childish interest, but it wasn't as though he was going to comment on that – after all, he was hardly the poster boy for maturity. Besides, who said you could only like dragons until a certain age?

The next pages were of more people, sketches of what he assumed might be characters, dressed in some pretty unique-looking, warrior-like clothing. The word 'Viking' popped into his mind as he looked them over. But as he continued to glance through page after page of drawings, all while Hiccup stood nearby, arms crossed and fingers tapping nervously, the white-haired boy became aware of something. These drawings were very flawed. He could see the obvious level of talent that had gone into making them, of course, but they were almost sloppy. He was hardly an artist himself, but he could see the anatomical flubs in them, the poor architecture on some of the houses, the awkward positioning of a dragon's wing.

"These aren't your best work." Jack pointed out bluntly. "There's all kinds of really obvious problems here. This is you dicking around on the page, Hiccup." he looked up, meeting the boy's shocked expression with a cocky grin. "This stuff is really sub-par but screams potential. And you know it. Now come on, I passed your little test, didn't I? Show me what you can _really_ do."

Hiccup gaped for a moment, a blush hitting his cheeks; it was fairly obvious that he hadn't been expecting Jack to catch on. _Seriously Hic, give me more credit than that._ Closing his mouth and releasing a heady breath through his nostrils, he simply nodded mutely and stepped over to a different drawer. From this he pulled out a stack of new, nicer-looking papers, already arranged neatly, and wordlessly brought them back to Jack. He sat next to the boy quietly.

"Whoa." Jack breathed out, amazed at the sight of the first picture. A proud black dragon, sleek and slim, lithe and dangerous, detailed meticulously down to the last scale, soaring effortlessly through a sea of clouds. Its eyes were its most striking feature, and looking at them reminded Jack heavily of the cat that watched him carefully from the brunette's bed.

Jack quietly set the drawing aside, seeing more drawings of the people, the characters from the doodles, brought to life in stunning realism. He felt almost as though he could touch his fingertips to the page and feel the texture of the clothing they wore. More pages and more drawings, houses that were drawn with such detail that Jack felt Hiccup could possibly have been an architect if he wanted.

He set the last drawing aside quietly. "What else have you got?" he asked, an eager expression on his face.

Hiccup smiled.

It continued this way, Jack always asking for more, and over the course of an hour, perhaps more, the floor of Hiccup's bedroom had become thoroughly decorated with sheets of doodles, drawings, sketches, and full-blown illustrations that covered almost every inch of carpet. Hiccup was now carefully tiptoeing his way through the gaps of floor space, his arms cradling a small stack of canvases. Jack's eyes widened at the sight, incredibly excited for what he was sure would be an amazing treat.

Toothless had, at some point, relocated himself and was now curled up next to the white-haired boy, letting himself be pet absently, satisfied, as Jack let his eyes roam over the new pieces of artwork.

"Oh, wow…" he spoke almost reverently, looking over the first painted canvas. It was a landscape, a drawing of the view of the forest beyond Hiccup's back yard, from the perspective of the back patio from the looks of things. It was absolutely breathtaking. The soft sunlight that filtered carefully through a break in the clouds and graced dark green grasses brought a certain life to the piece that caused the teenager's breath to catch in his throat. "Hiccup… your work is amazing. I mean, I just. Wow. These things range from being extremely awesome to being just… beautiful." Jack felt incredibly sappy saying so, but he couldn't lie. Especially not when his whole goal had been to convince Hiccup that his art was great.

Hiccup coughed quietly. "Th… Thank you."

Jack picked up the next canvas in the stack, smirking as he looked to the next, and the next. Portraits. Astrid reclining easily in what looked like a restaurant booth, staring out the window. Fishlegs sitting against a tree, nose in a book. Toothless sitting on the small picnic table in the Haddock's back yard, watching the trees. It was perhaps more real than anything Jack had seen so far, and he got the distinct impression that this might have been some of Hiccup's most recent work.

"Hiccup these are just really good. I can't even tell you."

Hiccup smiled, a covert, secretive smile, curling further into himself and gripping his crossed ankles in both hands, rocking himself a bit. Jack seemed to draw a pensive expression onto his face while Hiccup lost himself in his own world, trying to figure out how he should feel at the compliments Jack was showering him with. He had been seriously surprised when Jack had pointed out the flaws in those first drawings he had shown him. He had been expecting Jack to just blindly tell him it was good, confident that the boy was just going to try and reassure him regardless of how bad it was.

The fact that Jack had been honest and pointed out the obvious flaws was not something Hiccup expected from him. And it was thanks to that that the praises he was giving now… Hiccup could be confident that they were genuine. Jack was being perfectly honest. But then, had he once been dishonest with Hiccup about anything since meeting him?

"Hey, Hiccup," Jack piped up suddenly, breaking the boy's reverie. "Do you think you'd want to paint me?"

Hiccup stared for several moments upon hearing the request, blinking in surprise and feeling that familiar fluttery feeling in his belly. "A-ah…"

"Sorry," Jack cut in, laughing nervously. "It's just, I saw the other paintings, and I thought it was really cool, so I just figured I'd ask, but I mean it was probably a weird question, so-"

"Sure."

Now it was the other's turn to blink. "Sure?"

"Yeah." Hiccup smiled and nodded, ignoring his nerves. "I'd be happy to. Just pick a day and time and we can set it up."

Jack smiled, a very warm smile that made Hiccup's heart skip a beat. "Sounds awesome. I'll figure that out and let you know."

The two were interrupted then by the sound of a door opening and closing downstairs, as well as the heavy footfalls of a very large man. Hiccup hastily stood. "My dad's home. You should probably head out now, I mean, we didn't really ask if you could be over today, so."

"Right, right," Jack replied, standing as well after gently moving Toothless's head off of his knee.

The two stepped around the various pieces of art which still littered the floor, hastily making their way downstairs. Stoick stood in the living room, eyeing the TV for a moment before noticing the sound of footsteps and turning his attention to Hiccup and Jack.

"Hey there, Mr. Haddock." Jack greeted cheerily, though also with an obvious air of awkwardness. He stooped to collect his shoes from next to the door, slipping them on as quickly as he could.

Stoick nodded, raising his eyebrow. "Jackson, hello. I didn't realize you were here."

"Oh, yeah, but I'm heading off now. Sorry to intrude." Jack added quickly, securing his shoes and standing. Hiccup opened the door for him. "Uh, thanks again for dinner the other night!" he added as he waved, turning to Hiccup to give him a quick nod as well.

"Of course, of course." Stoick nodded again, his expression conveying curiosity as Jack made his way out, Hiccup waving after him as he closed the door. The imposing adult stared out the window, watching Jack jog off, almost nervously, and raised his eyebrow at the odd behavior. He turned his gaze onto his son then, who was standing there awkwardly as if embarrassed for some reason. His hair was sticking up in odd places, and he looked… a bit tousled. Stoick's expression went blank. He quickly followed this by shaking his head. "Well, son," he greeted, stepping over to Hiccup and laying a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the vague, ridiculous notion he had just barely stepped upon. "How was the game last night?"

Hiccup looked up, prepared to answer when his father suddenly cut him off, the man's eyes squinting perplexedly. "What happened to your chin?" he asked, eyeing the round, purple bruise that was easily visible on Hiccup's left jawline.

"O-oh, ah," Hiccup stammered, chuckling. "Well, see, funny thing dad," he started, noting to himself that Stoick clearly hadn't heard anything of the matter from Spitelout. Although, what with them never talking, he didn't figure he would have. "See, I was, uh, walking, you know, like I usually do. But this darn leg of mine, you know how it is," he added with a laugh, tapping his left foot down on the floor a couple times. "I didn't even notice I stepped into a tree root. And well, I'm sure I don't have tell you what happened there."

Stoick sighed. "You fell?"

"Right onto the curb, yep."

"Oh, Hiccup." Stoick removed his heavy hand and shook his head. "I'm always telling you to be more careful when you walk. You can't keep letting things like this happen to you…"

Hiccup wasn't quite sure if Stoick's tone was more worry or embarrassment, and his eyelids drooped. He scowled only slightly. "Yeah, yeah, I know, I try dad. It's not easy." He turned away. "Anyway, the game was fine otherwise, same old same old. Where were you?" he asked, somewhat non-committedly as he headed toward the staircase.

Stoick looked regretful of his words, though Hiccup didn't see it. "Ah, I er. I was with Gobber. He's thinking of closing shop for the day, we thought we'd enjoy it with some impromptu fishing."

"Sounds great." Hiccup called back, walking up the stairs with _deliberately careful_ steps, just for emphasis.

Stoick almost wanted to snap at him to stop that, but held his tongue. "What was Jack here for?" he asked.

Hiccup paused on the steps and thought quickly. "Nothing, really. Was just in the neighborhood, you know. I didn't feel like going out though, so, yeah."

"Yes, well," Stoick nodded, clapping his hands together and rubbing at them distractedly, his voice carrying the faintest vestiges of hesitance. "It's good you two are getting along so well."

Hiccup laughed nervously as he continued up the steps.

.

* * *

.

"I just can't believe it." Fishlegs muttered, eyes wide as he stared at Hiccup's fading bruise with avid concern. The group of four was currently seated at their usual lunch table, the 'It's definitely a Monday' feeling pervading the air as the students around them seemed lacking in energy, quietly eating their meals. Other than Fishlegs, of course, whom had been informed by Hiccup, roughly, of what had happened over the weekend during their second period class that morning. "Snotlout _actually _hit you? Like on purpose?"

"Yes, Fishlegs, he did." Hiccup answered sharply, not wanting to talk about this anymore.

"And if he shows his face around here, he's going to regret it." Astrid added, gaze firm as she looked around. She hadn't stopped keeping an eye out during the entirety of the lunch period, not even touching her meal.

Hiccup wished she'd stop, but knew she wouldn't. Really, she was only making this worse. It was almost embarrassing how quickly news spread through a high school, and he had had eyes on him all day from varying students whom had heard about the exchange. Hiccup had the distinct impression that many of them were wondering if it was okay to attack him now, seeing as how Snotlout had done it, but he chocked that one up to paranoia.

Paranoia that wasn't being helped by Astrid or Fishlegs.

"But he _never_ hits you, Hiccup. If he did, I mean, aren't you worried? What if this starts becoming a regular thing now?"

"Fishlegs I'm a little old to be afraid of bullying. I'll live." he replied, annoyed. He glanced over to Jack, silently sitting beside Fishlegs and kicking his legs beneath the table.

Jack had been entirely too quiet today. Hiccup was no mind-reader, but he had his suspicions that all of this talk was just reminding him that it was his fault that all of this had happened. Because, well, it kind of was. Not that Hiccup blamed him. Snotlout was an annoyance, and Jack was clearly just not intent on taking the larger boy's crap that night. But, the fact that he had gotten Hiccup involved was probably weighing on his conscience now.

"Ugh, I wish I could walk with you today, all the same." Astrid stated, worry decorating her tone. "I know you think it's stupid, Hiccup, but I don't want you to be on your own in case Snotlout or any of his little friends decide to jump you or something after school."

"You're being ridiculous." Hiccup replied blandly.

"But I've got practice…" the girl muttered to herself, not seeming to have heard him (or perhaps just ignoring him) as she tried to work out a solution for this.

"Yeah, and I've got the book club." Fishlegs frowned. "I can't miss it today, it's my turn to lead discussion."

"Guys!" Hiccup almost shouted, his voice rising well above conversation-level and embarrassingly drawing the attention of some of the surrounding students. Hiccup sighed, lowering his voice again and breathing out. "I. Will. Be. Fine. Nothing is going to happen, alright? It was a dumb fight, caused for a dumb reason. Snotlout got the last hit on _me_, so it's not like he's going to be looking for revenge. Now would you guys just let it go?"

Jack straightened up in his seat, grinning at Hiccup in a rather annoying fashion. "I'll walk him home." he said.

Hiccup aimed a death glare in his direction.

"Could you?" Astrid asked, though her lilting tone carried a teasing humor in it, one she placed there deliberately upon seeing Hiccup's little outburst. "He's just such a delicate little flower."

Fishlegs giggled. "A regular buttercup."

Hiccup groaned and rested his forehead on his arms while his friends went about ignoring him from there, speaking at length about their upcoming movie night this weekend, something Fishlegs seemed particularly enthused by.

.

* * *

.

"You know Jack, I thought you said you were going to walk me home, not to the candy shop."

Hiccup's expression was a cross between amusement and exasperation as he watched Jack stoop in front of the store window, eyeing the chocolaty treats on display ravenously. "It's just a detour Hiccup." Jack answered, waving his hand dismissively and never taking his eyes off of the treats. "Besides, come on, last time I only got to take a single look at this place! I should at _least_ be allowed inside this time, right?"

Hiccup smirked, crossing his arms and pulling his thick winter coat more tightly around himself as a breeze kicked up. He noticed that even Jack had dressed more appropriately for the weather today, wearing a navy-blue hooded jacket that was not unlike his regular hoodie, though this one was left open down the middle, revealing the thin turtleneck sweater he was wearing beneath. The white-haired youth stood up briskly, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Come on, Hiccup, I won't be long?"

The brunette cocked his head to the side.

"Okay, how about this, we can make it interesting; we go in there, and you pick out _anything_, no matter how rich or sweet or whatever, and I bet you anything I'll be able to finish it all in five minutes."

"Hm. That _does_ sound interesting. And what do I get if you don't?"

"That's for you to decide." Jack replied confidently, eyebrows arched challengingly. Hiccup found the gesture disgustingly attractive, and had to stop himself from blurting out 'a kiss'.

He coughed. "How about you buy my ticket, popcorn and drink this weekend at the movies? And if you win I do the same for you."

"That sounds like a fair deal." Jack replied, pretending to think it over. "Alright, bet's on then."

"You're gonna regret this, Frosty." Hiccup told him, laughing deviously to himself as the two opened the door to the chocolaty wonderland and stepped inside. Jack inhaled the sweet aroma with avid adoration, seeming to dance across the floor as he took in everything.

"Wooooooow. You gotta be kidding me." he stated, distantly, amazed, at the huge selection that could only be glimpsed from outside.

"Now you know why this place is called the Devious Snaptrapper." Hiccup told him, amusedly. "It invites you in and then you can't leave until you've thrown away all of your pocket money on it."

Jack licked his lips, nodding. "No joke…"

"But here is what you'll be having." Hiccup instructed as he navigated around several other bustling customers and children, finding the object he was looking for exactly where he expected to find it. "Bon appetit."

Jack's eyes widened when Hiccup returned with what was quite possibly the most _stupidly huge candy bar he had ever seen._ "Wha…"

"Five minutes, right?" Hiccup asked, flashing an impish grin the likes of which Jack himself often utilized.

"I… but this is…"

"You did say anything, Jack. Anything I could find."

Jack knew he couldn't argue. "A-alright. Alright. Let's uh. Let's buy it."

The purchase had been a painful experience, Jack having to throw away twenty of his dollars on the thing. And to think, if he didn't finish it he'd just be spending _more_ money on Hiccup this weekend. _Should have thought this through, Jack…_

They seated themselves on a bench outside the shop, parked in roughly the middle of the plaza, as people milled around them and minded their business. Some stopped to glance at Jack, eyeing his giant candy bar, but most paid the two no mind, far too busy entertaining screaming children or laughing friends to bother.

"Anytime you're ready, Jack." Hiccup announced lazily, checking over his nails in a show of nonchalance. "Timer starts as soon as you get started."

Jack slowly unwrapped the thing, devastated at how much more enormous it looked once exposed. He gulped. "Alright. Five minutes. I can do this." And then he took his first bite, his mind focusing more on the challenge than the euphoric taste of this beautiful, beautiful chocolate.

Hiccup was a bit surprised at the speed with which he was already starting to snarf down the candy, and for a brief moment he worried that he might lose the bet. However, that moment ended with the rather unexpected arrival of a thin, colorful woman who seemed to be in a bit of a fluster.

"Jack, what on earth do you think you're doing!?" she cried, voice filled with dismay as she clutched her bright green coat between purple-colored fingernails, an anxious, terrified expression on her face.

Jack blinked. "I'm… eating this chocolate bar?"

Hiccup waved. "Hi Anna."

But the woman completely ignored him as she reached out without warning, snatching the chocolate bar like lightning. "No. No no. I simply _cannot_ just stand by and watch you destroy those perfect teeth like that!" she cried out, holding the oversized thing behind her back as he stared at her in confusion. "I could never live with myself, knowing I could have done something! Jack do you even _know_ how bad something like this is for your teeth if you eat it all at once like that? Your enamel will peel away and your teeth will become brittle! Oh, I just shudder to think of the cavities this could have resulted in!"

"Ms. Zabek… it's one chocolate bar. And I paid twenty bucks for it!"

The woman, evidently still distressed, began digging around in her purse, responding with a sharp "That's how it starts!" She then pulled out a crumpled twenty dollar bill and threw it at Jack, hitting him in the chest with it. He was absolutely flabbergasted by the behavior, vaguely collecting the bill as it rolled to his lap. "Now as your teacher, I'm confiscating this for your own good!"

And before another word could be said on the matter, she had turned on a sharp heel and trotted away so rapidly that neither Hiccup nor Jack was still entirely sure they had understood what happened. The spectacle had garnered a small audience of onlookers.

"…Did my English teacher just take my chocolate and give me money for it?"

Hiccup nodded slowly. "I think that that is what just happened, yes."

A long pause persisted as people went back about their business. Hiccup smiled.

"You know, I think this means you technically lost the bet, Jack."

Jack snapped his widened eyes over to his friend. "What? No! That doesn't count, she took it away!"

"I don't recall any specific clauses being declared beforehand regarding grounds for disqualification or dismissal." Hiccup replied, reeking of self-satisfaction.

"I hate you."

"I know. Now come on, you clearly still need that sweet tooth satisfied, so I'll take you to Gobber's for some cocoa." He laughed as he stood from the bench, extending his invitation.

Jack grinned at him. "Well, I can't turn down free cocoa."

.

* * *

.

"So is this just a regular hangout for you guys in this town?" Jack asked jokingly as he made himself comfortable on his end of the booth.

Hiccup bounced in his cushy seat a bit, enjoying the feeling. Gobber's booths were always pretty comfortable. Still, he had been hoping for a seat at a bar stool, such as was his usual fare; unfortunately, with the currently crowded status of the place, that wasn't in the cards. "Yeah, you could say that. Although I don't really think that there are very many people our age, other than me, who actually come here that often. It's mostly an adult place."

He didn't mind the booth, really. It was just that, sitting in a cozy, isolated booth, soft orange lightning overhead, across from Jack, and with no one else around? It held a bit of an intimate atmosphere which, of course, made him nervous.

"Well, it's a pretty friendly place." Jack commented, looking around and noting the smiles and laughs of the people at the bar. "Definitely has that pubby feel right now, though. I thought it wasn't a tavern until later?" he asked, stifling a chuckle.

"Must be a Monday thing." Hiccup shrugged.

"Aye, here ye boys go." Phlegma announced, appearing at their table with a tray and two mugs, setting them down before the boys with a smile. "Mind yourselves, now, it's fresh n' hotter n' usual. Oh and Jack, say hello to your father fer me!"

She didn't linger, clearly rather busy at the moment and eager to move to her next stop. She merely offered them a quick nod (one which Jack replied to with a smile and a goofy salute) before disappearing.

"So what sort of places did your friends usually hang out at in your old homes, then?" Hiccup asked curiously, blowing on his mug.

Jack's smile dropped a fraction as he wrapped his hands around the warm mug, nerve endings tingling at the barely contained heat. "Nowhere special, particularly."

The brunette blew out his cheeks a bit. This again. There was definitely something that Jack was just not telling him, and it was beginning to drive the boy mad. He really didn't want to pry though… Although, wasn't that exactly what Jack always did?

"Okay, well… You said before that you and your friends spent a lot of time just goofing off and stuff. Where did you do that? I mean hell, I wouldn't call this place 'special' either Jack, but it's still somewhere."

Jack sipped at his drink and his expression lifted a bit. "This cocoa is absolutely delicious. Like wow, how do you even make cocoa this good, Hiccup? It's amazing. I need to ask Phlegma if she'll be my personal chef. I can pay her in-"

"Jack did you not hear my question?"

The other teenager stopped talking, and his expression finally fell away completely, replaced with an indifferent expression that Hiccup found really did not look like it belonged on Jack's face.

Hiccup frowned thoughtfully. "Jack…" he sighed. "You react negatively and then try to cover it up every time I mention or ask about your old friends. Why is that?" he asked cautiously, aware that it could very well be a sensitive subject.

Jack's hands busied themselves with his mug, turning it over and over again in circles in his grasp, watching the clouds of steam. Steam clouds always made great distractions, whether you were breathing them out or watching them waft off of something hot.

"Because I never really made friends." he said finally, shrugging.

Hiccup blinked. "…Never?"

Jack shook his head. "I made plenty of friendly acquaintances, sure. But I never really hung out with any of them on my own time, or got close in any way, honestly. I haven't made any actual friends in… aha, in years." He smiled ruefully now, eyeing the table as though contemplating its surface would give him the answers to life. "I guess that sounds kind of pathetic, doesn't it?"

But Hiccup shook his head immediately, finding no trace of hesitation as he answered rather honestly. "Not at all. I mean, I'd be in a pretty lousy position to call it pathetic, anyway."

Jack glanced up, and while his expression was amused, his eyes held a trace of a different emotion, one which Hiccup almost wanted to identify as beseeching. "How do you mean?" Jack asked.

Hiccup shrugged and slumped in his seat a bit, temporarily forgetting his nerves of being in this situation with Jack as he recounted his memories. "Well, for a long time, I didn't have any friends either. Pretty much all of my young life." he explained, picking up a spoon and swirling it in his chocolate beverage. "None of the other kids liked me growing up, and I was encouraged to play with Snotlout a lot, but his definition of playing was to beat me up whenever I didn't do what he said and make me part of his child slave ring at the park. But even among the other slave children, I was the odd one out, no one wanted to sit next to me on the imaginary row boat rides, and they'd make fun of me when Snotlout accused me of not rowing fast enough and would then hit me for it." He smirked. He had to admit, it sounded pretty ridiculous when he told this story out loud, regardless of how traumatic it had been to his young self. He frowned again, though, as he recalled the next bits. "…Well, to breeze over a long story, things got even lonelier for me after my mother died. I met Toothless not long after she went, and he basically became the only companion I had.

"Things kind of stayed that way until I was 13. Pretty much completely by chance, I was out with Toothless one day and suddenly this dog came running up to us – collie, real pretty dog – and she was just barking her head off and Toothless was rearing up to fight, and I was all worried, but then who should run up other than Astrid. I'd seen her around, of course, we went to the same school and were about the same age, so of course I knew her, but she never had two words to say to me, and neither did I for her. Turns out the dog was hers, and had gotten off leash while they were out for a run. She was really impressed with Toothless, though, and I guess she was impressed enough to ask me some questions about him." Hiccup smiled fondly as he recalled that meeting. "I couldn't tell you how, but we ended up talking about other things after taking a seat on the sidewalk for no real reason and making Toothless and Stormfly – her dog – get along. And just. Yeah. We talked for a while and I got the impression that she was unhappy about some things. And from there she started talking to me at school more, and the rest is history."

"Wow." Jack said, having by now leaned forward on one elbow, listening attentively. "So Astrid was your… first real friend, then?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yep. We spent so much time together after that that people started to wonder about us. But it became pretty clear that it wasn't what they were thinking. But yeah, she was my first friend in 13 years. Comparatively speaking, I'm sure your situation isn't as bad, is it?" he asked with a hopeful smile. Jack's remained rueful, though it softened a bit as he looked down. "I don't think it's pathetic, Jack. You can talk to me about it. I mean, I get the feeling there's something else going on here, other than just that."

And that made two of them, Hiccup knew. There was plenty he wasn't telling Jack, as well. And Hiccup had a rather intuitive impression that the other boy's troubles had something to do with how often Jack had moved, or perhaps something to do with the life he and his sister had before they were adopted. He recalled that Jack had mentioned that North had gotten them pretty young – but Mary was only ten years old. Regardless of how young she was when they were adopted, Jack would have been old enough to remember something. He was almost sure that Jack probably knew of their current predicament, the risk of sharing information and exposing oneself, based on how thoughtful his expression became, as if he was gearing up to say something meaningful. He stopped himself, giving the matter more thought, and finally seemed to settle on something.

"Hiccup, you said in your story that things became harder for you… when your mom died. Could you… maybe tell me a little bit more about that? Maybe how it happened?"

Hiccup breathed in sharply, and sipped his drink in careful contemplation at that request. Now it was his turn to think carefully, and he decided to answer the question with another question. "Jack, if I asked you to tell me about your life before you were adopted, would you tell me right now?"

Jack stared at him, their eyes locking for a moment, and the boy shook his head. "No." he said, and Hiccup nodded. "But," he started, catching the brunette's interest. "Some time. Maybe." He made sure to lock eyes with him again, his expression maintaining that same beseeching quality. "Okay?"

The freckled boy dipped his head in affirmation, emerald eyes warming a bit. "Okay." And that was all that needed to be said as the boys quietly let the topic of their mutual secrets drop, for now.

"This cocoa really is amazing." Jack stated, brightening back up as he took another swig of the slightly cooled beverage, humming in bliss.

Hiccup laughed. "I keep telling Gobber that he needs to raise Phlegma's wages."

"She ought to go on strike until he does!"

The two shared a laugh then, smiling across the table at each other and knowing that the warmth inside them wasn't just from the drinks.

.

* * *

.

The day was as still as the glassy, frozen pond. Berk hadn't been visited with any fresh snowfall since Friday evening, which was certainly pleasant as Hiccup waited around the park, somewhat anxiously, in the cold but stationary air. Another Tuesday. A full week since the passing of Mildew. Seven days marching on since the event that set everything else into motion. His stomach turned at the thought, but he was rather confident that he wasn't about to dig up his guilty feelings again.

School had let out nearly an hour ago, and Astrid and Fishlegs both had other plans as usual, and even Jack couldn't keep him company today. He had initially found that he was actually sad about that, having hoped that perhaps he and Jack could kill another afternoon chatting at Gobber's. But then he decided that he could take advantage of this freedom, and perhaps get something off of his chest.

He continued to wait, but he'd been standing in the cold for going on twenty minutes now. A crestfallen breath was exhaled. "Well this was stupid…" he muttered as he turned to leave. And almost ended up running right into the old woman who was standing quietly, smiling at him.

He stared at her. "Someone should put a bell on you."

She laughed silently, a small, breathy sound, before the elderly woman made her way to the bench, assuming her usual seat.

"I've got to say, I was starting to think you wouldn't be here…" Hiccup stated, quietly seating himself beside her. But as usual, there she was. Somehow. How did she always know when he was looking for her?

They sat quietly while Gothi began to toss bread crumbs at the gradually freezing pond, thin layers of ice having appeared over it since the last time Hiccup had spoken with her. A few ducks were still milling about, and Hiccup wondered why they had yet to migrate south. That water must have been freezing to them, after all. But they greedily ate up the bread crumbs all the same, as if it was the only motivation they needed to stay.

When the woman finished tossing her crumbs, she folded her hands neatly upon her lap and gave Hiccup her full attention. He cleared his throat. "I have feelings for Jack."

She merely nodded at him, unperturbed and as though she was expecting the answer. This was made even more apparent when she moved her hand in a circular fashion, as if to say 'Yes, go on.'

Hiccup chuckled dryly. "So when you dropped that snow into the water and pointed at the ripples. Did you mean to say Jack's arrival would have effects on everyone?"

She nodded again, as though this was obvious.

"Okay, well, can you tell me if those ripples are going to be good or bad?" he asked, trepidation apparent.

At this, the woman shook her head at him.

He sighed. "…Do you even _know_ if it'll be good or bad?"

She turned away and shrugged, non-committal. 'Good' and 'Bad' were entirely subjective.

Hiccup didn't prod further on that matter, gnawing lightly on his lower lip as his fingers curled into fists in his pockets. "Okay, well… it's just, I have this nagging feeling that something bad is going to happen. Like something will go wrong. I don't know what to do. And I mean… I don't know how he feels. Or if he's even, you know… compatible." he settled on. "But there's… I _feel_ like there's something there. Maybe. Possibly. But I don't know anything and I'm quite honestly scared to tell _him_ anything about me, let alone ask about him. It's all just… It's all so messed up, Gothi, and I've never been in this kind of situation before. I'm scared."

He felt her skinny, bony hand on his arm, rubbing in reassurance. This woman was used to seeing him so vulnerable. He had learned long ago that he could do this without fear of repercussion from her. She had practically become necessary to him. But Gothi was wise, and Gothi knew that at best, she could only serve as the barest of substitutions for what he really needed. Wouldn't it be nice if he could find someone new, someone more suitable, to fulfill her role?

"I know you have… weird, I'll say, gifts. Things I don't want to even try to understand. And there are rules for it apparently. But… is there anything you can tell me? Anything at all?"

She sighed a silent sigh, giving the matter very serious thought. At times, she permitted herself to offer guidance. It was one of her jobs here, in this place. It was what she had done for a long, long time, for many, many people. She gave the boy her affirmation and released his arm, reaching into the small pouch she carried with her at all times.

From within its confines she produced a single, pretty little flower, with five petals of blue, and handed it to Hiccup.

Hiccup took the flower delicately between two fingers. "This is…" he tried to remember its name. He had seen this flower before. But what was its name…?

He turned to ask her, but the woman was already getting up to leave, giving him a mysterious smile as she departed. He raised his hand after her, as if he could somehow will her to stay with him, but she just kept moving. He lowered his hand slowly, glancing down at the little flower with curiosity.

Later that night, after running through a search online for answers, he found (with a touch of irony) the identity of the flower. It was a Forget-Me-Not, the flower that symbolized memories. He stared at it, and made the determination then and there that he would speak to Jack about his mother.

.

* * *

.

"I'm telling you, belly-down is the best way to do it." Fishlegs argued, brandishing his large sled as he made his points. "You get the greatest amount of velocity, and it presses your weight further down, not to mention you're more aerodynamic!"

"But what good is that without control?" Jack replied, almost pouting as he made his counterpoint. "If you don't have enough control, you'll just wipeout and lose technique! Besides, extra weight is good for boosting downhill speed, but if you distribute it all over the sled by going belly-down, you just weigh it down unnecessarily! Sitting is better."

"Hiccup!" Fishlegs cried, turning to face the amused brunette, who was standing nearby, watching. "Weigh in on this, what are your thoughts?"

"Yeah!" Jack added, turning to him as well.

"My thoughts are that when you two dragged me out to go sledding in the middle of the day after an excruciating school day," Hiccup began, glancing down at Toothless who was sitting patiently beside him (wearing his collar), recalling having been cozy at home about an hour ago until Fishlegs and Jack had come begging at his doorstep. "I wasn't expecting there to be this much arguing."

Jack laughed. "As if you would have refused the invitation anyway. Besides, doing something fun in the middle of the week is like the cool new thing, didn't you know?"

"Oh is that right?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, I've never heard of that." Fishlegs added.

Jack shook his head, an air of 'Oh, you country bumpkins' in his demeanor as he smiled pityingly. "Ah, I guess you slowpokes out here wouldn't know, would you. Partying on Wednesday? That's like the cool thing to do now. People are trying to make it the new Friday."

"I feel like you're making this up." Fishlegs stated suspiciously.

"Would I lie to you?"

"Yes." Hiccup answered matter-of-factly. Toothless also seemed to nod, meowing loudly.

"Ah!" Jack stumbled backward, clutching at his chest. "Absurd! I'm being called a liar by the most evil person I know! And his evil cat, too."

Hiccup smirked. "Now that just _wounds_ me, Mr. Overland. I am a _paragon_ of _virtue_."

Fishlegs mirrored the expression, placing large hands on his hips. "Yep. Mr. Overland, I think your testimony against Mr. Haddock is libel. His soul clearly reeks of purity."

"It reeks of something…" Jack muttered back, not appreciating being ganged up on.

The other two laughed at the boy's expense.

"Anyway!" Jack stated challengingly as he stared down at the snowy hill that the trio currently stood on top of, sending waves of silent gratitude toward the blonde boy who had guided them to this nice spot. "I think it's time I proved the superiority of my technique. Watch and learn!" he shouted, dropping his toboggan down and jumping onto it in a showoffy fashion, rear planted firmly on the seat as he began to move, speeding down the snowy hill with rather stylized movements and grace, for a sled. He whooped and hollered the whole way down, and Hiccup watched with quiet affection as he reached the bottom, standing and cheering.

Fishlegs rolled his eyes, shouting down after him. "Yeah, well, watch how much faster _I _get down!" And then the large boy leaped forward with his larger sled ahead of him, landing on it on his chest as the blades made contact with the slope, immediately hurtling down at a breakneck pace and crying out in glee.

Hiccup crouched down to Toothless's level, petting the cat and shaking his head. "These two are like a match made in heaven, aren't they Bud?"

The cat meowed before turning to paw at Hiccup's rather simple, round sled, made of a durable plastic of some kind and colored a deep green.

"Oh, you wanna go for a ride, eh buddy?" he asked, his own joyous spirit starting to rise at the prospect of taking his feline friend on another of their speedy trips. In all of the chaos over the last week, he'd completely neglected to take Toothless out like he did most years.

The cat stared up at him, an excited glint in its eye as it hopped on to the sled, and Hiccup grinned as he climbed on as well, sticking his foot through the little noose of twine on the edge of the disc-like object.

"Let's go, bud." he said, kicking off the ground with his other foot as Toothless braced his paws on the sled's edge, and the two were propelled forward, flying down the hill rapidly. Laughs were ripped from the brunette's throat at the feeling, the adrenaline rush, and Toothless squeezed his eyes shut as they flew, fur ruffling and enjoying the rush.

Hiccup twisted his foot in the twine loop, pulling the sled to one side in order to execute a sharp left turn. A spray of white erupted like a wave, and Hiccup quickly adjust the pull of the loop again, this time swiveling right in another spray of snowfall.

Jack and Fishlegs watched from the bottom as Hiccup and Toothless careened down the hill in wide, looping arcs, not caring so much about speed as much as the thrill and the movements. When the duo finally reached the bottom, Jack stood gaping as Toothless hopped off the slay, dashing in circles around Hiccup's feet and thumping his long tail against the snow.

"Toothless sleds with you?" he asked, stunned and impressed.

Hiccup smiled. "Of course he does." he stated as if it were obvious. "Toothless loves it. Always has. I used to sled with Toothless before I had Fishlegs or Astrid to go with, you know."

Fishlegs giggled and kneeled down to pat the excited cat. "Makes me wish I could bring Meatlug on these outings too. But she's so lazy in winter…"

Jack smiled and crouched as well, joining Fishlegs and turning Toothless into one happy camper as he was lavished with affection. "Is Meatlug your cat?"

"Bulldog." Fishlegs replied. "She's the cutest little princess, too!" he cooed, standing and picking up his sled. "Anyway! Come on, back to the top!"

As the boy charged back up, sled hoisted over his head, Jack gave Hiccup a questioning look. "A bulldog is a cute little princess?"

"Olde English Bulldog, to be exact." Hiccup answered, snickering. "And she's _really_ scary if you make her mad. Which usually only happens if she thinks you're hurting Fishlegs. But she's pretty... cute, I suppose." Hiccup stated, almost nervously.

Jack found himself wondering about that nervousness, but figured he'd probably find out eventually. He grabbed a hold of the tether to his sled and followed after Fishlegs, dragging his sled behind him, Hiccup joining the two not long afterward. The afternoon persisted for a few more runs down the slope, Jack and Fishlegs never ceasing in arguing and comparing their respective techniques while Hiccup simply enjoyed the wild rush with Toothless in run after run of stylish weaving. Before long the sun was beginning to hang low in the sky, and the chill was becoming more and more palpable as its rays offered them little solace and their clothes gradually became more moist with the exposure to the snow.

"Okay, one more run, one more run." Jack demanded once they had returned to the top of the hill, giving Fishlegs a challenging grin. "And we'll find out once and for all whose technique is better. A straight-down race!"

Fishlegs was bursting at the seams with excitement, nodding vigorously. "Yes! I'll prove it, then! And we've both got toboggans, so no one can claim the sled type had an effect on the outcome." he added, wagging a finger.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Fish." Jack assured, and then turned to Hiccup. "But Hiccup has to ride with me. In an actual speed race, Fishlegs has too much of a weight advantage for it to be fair, Hic."

Fishlegs nodded after briefly considering that. "True, the technique difference won't prove much if I win just because I'm heavier."

Hiccup looked between the two of them incredulously. "Do I get a say in this?" he asked tentatively, Jack's obliviously smiling face giving away no signs of ulterior motives.

"Aww, come on Hic, you wanna make a fair race, don't you?"

"Please Hiccup? I need an answer to this!"

Hiccup sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll ride with Jack."

"Great! Hop on." Jack instructed, pointing to the front of the sled.

"…I have to be in front?"

"Well yeah, you're lighter than me. It makes sense for the heavier one to be in back if we're going for speed." Jack explained casually as he took his seat on the back end of the sled. Fishlegs was lying down on his own toboggan, the toes of his boots digging into the ground behind him to prevent him from sliding off.

Hiccup stepped over to Jack and sat down in front of him, breathing out deeply and feeling his cheeks flush as Jack scooted forward to close the distance between them. His arms snaked around Hiccup's body to brace themselves against the curled front end of the sled, gripping tightly in preparation to steer. Hiccup simply curled in on himself and repressed the urge to shudder at the feeling of Jack's warm breath on the back of his neck.

He glanced out of the corner of his eyes to see Toothless staring at him with a rather interesting glint in his feline eyes. Hiccup glared back, a look that clearly stated 'What are you looking at!?' Toothless trotted over to Hiccup's sled and curled up on it, smug.

"Hiccup, call the start of the race." Fishlegs instructed, gearing up to go. "Neither me nor Jack should do it, since we're the ones racing."

Hiccup nodded. "Right, right. Okay. On your marks," Jack tensed behind him. "Get set," He felt the breathing quicken. "Go!"

The two sleds took off, Fishlegs shoving with all his might at the ground and bearing down on his sled with all his weight, while Jack sat back heavily to put less strain on his sled's front end, allowing it to glide evenly. The experience was easily different than sledding with Toothless. Hiccup no longer felt like he was in control on this ride, but the speed was way more intense, the wind whipping at his face as he and Jack gunned for the bottom of the hill, Jack's arms almost feeling like steel vices on either side of him as they gripped the sled's front.

Hiccup found himself laughing, enjoying the rush of the ride just as he always did, however different it felt than what he was used to. He honestly had lost track of Fishlegs, and wasn't sure if he was in front of them or behind them, but he didn't care. He didn't care about the outcome of the race, he simply cared about how much fun he was having, and about how warm Jack felt pressed behind him, smiling and laughing as loudly as he was.

He wasn't sure what exactly went wrong – maybe Jack leaned forward too heavily, maybe Hiccup wasn't leaning back far enough, maybe they were both just too lost in the euphoria of the moment to maintain control over their velocity. But however it happened, the sled's front end dipped forward and snagged on something, something beneath the layers of snow – a rock, or root, maybe, who could tell – and the next thing Hiccup knew he was tumbling through the air, and for a bare second, there was a feeling of nothingness beneath his feet (well, that was normal for the left one). And then it all came crashing as he rolled back into the snow, feeling another thick weight near him as the two of them rolled down the hill messily, a tangle of limbs and probably bruises later, only to finally come to stop at the hill's base, groaning a bit at the aches in their shoulders and legs and heads.

But as Hiccup stared up at the sky and let the brief pain subside, back flat on the ground, legs tangled in Jack's, arms splayed out with one resting across his friend's chest, shoulders bumping, he started to laugh again. And it was only moments before Jack was joining him in that laughter, in a similar position himself, though his arm seemed caught under Hiccup's back, and he had to take a moment to pull it free.

Fishlegs came running over moments later, panting. "Are you guys okay?" he asked, though he seemed to relax as he noticed the laughing, his expression softening. "Ooookay, you're laughing. I'm 67% sure that the wipeout you two just had was really bad, but okay."

Hiccup pulled himself up with a bit of effort, blowing out a puff of exhilarated air. "Yeah, it was," he agreed as he worked to disentangle his legs with the other boy's, who was pulling himself back into sorts as well.

"Well, I won by the way." Fishlegs stated with a satisfied smile. "And I even reached the bottom before you guys crashed, so you can't blame it on that."

Jack waved his hand dismissively as he got to his feet. "Fluke, the same fluke that made us crash. We'll have to have a rematch!"

"Ah, not today, Jack." Hiccup stated. He glanced up then, surprised and amused to see his green sled sliding quickly down toward the group, though not as quickly as it might have been if he were on it.

Its lone, black-furred pilot hopped off as soon as the sled was near enough and ran towards the boy, poking at him fretfully with a cold nose and releasing soft mewls.

"Hey, hey, I'm fine bud, don't worry. It was just a little crash."

Jack blinked down in amazement at the feline, shaking his head disbelievingly. "Hiccup, your cat just sled down the hill on his own. Your cat is out of this world."

Fishlegs smiled at him. "Smartest cat I've ever met."

"I think that makes three of us, Fish." Jack agreed.

Hiccup chuckled as he stood up and cradled the cat in his arms, hugging him and burying his nose in the fur on his head for a moment. "He's amazing."

Toothless purred in his grasp.

"Anyway, I think it's high time we started getting back. The sun'll be down pretty soon…" Hiccup stated, wary of the night chill.

"Ah, but wait, wait! I never got to show you guys my awesome boarding skills!" Jack complained, running over to grab at a large snowboard that was leaning quietly against a tree, another recreational item the youth had brought with him to the venue.

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you spent all your time arguing with Fishlegs over sledding. Jack come on, it's getting late and it can get really cold out here when the sun goes down."

"Just one ride!" Jack demanded, hoisting the board beneath one arm and running as quickly as he could up the hill. "Just one! I promise! You guys will love it!"

The other two boys sighed but, seeing as how they didn't need to get involved themselves, decided to entertain their companion, simply standing and watching. It wasn't long before he had reached the hill's apex, sitting down and taking a moment to strap his feet onto the thing before hopping back up a moment later. Hiccup had to squint to pay close enough attention, and shivered a bit as the breeze picked up. The blue-eyed boy set to it immediately, a distant but scarcely visible grin on his features as he began to glide down with about as much grace as Hiccup had demonstrated on his sled, though with considerably more panache and style.

"Wow, he's actually pretty good at that!" Fishlegs complimented, watching as Jack directed himself over toward a sizable mound of snow that the trio had brought about through their repeated sled runs, and flew off of it in an impressive leap, performing a quick midair spin before making contact with the slope again.

Hiccup couldn't take his eyes off of him, a faint smile lighting his features as he watched how charged with life and energy and joy the other boy seemed to be up there, performing his graceful turns and spins and flashing that brilliant grin of his. Hiccup sighed quietly. He was enamored with the sight of him. Fishlegs glanced over at Hiccup, seeing his softly smiling face, and pursed his lips together in thought.

Jack came skidding to a halt not long after, sweeping up to them in a spray of snow and smiling confidently. "So? How'd I do? I'll admit it's been a while."

Fishlegs shot his arms up in cheer. "Jack that was awesome! You were actually pretty cool, I'll admit!"

Hiccup nodded in agreement. "Yes, let it be known that on this day, I have agreed with Fishlegs's sentiment in calling you 'cool'. Now can we go home, Jack?" His attempt at sarcasm was a rather poor one, however, and Jack could clearly read past the sardonicism.

"Yeah, yeah. You guys are such babies, I swear. I wonder what Gobber'd say if he heard you whining about the cold?"

"Gobber lost a leg and a hand to frost bite. On two separate occasions." Hiccup stated, deadpan. "I don't think I care much for his opinion on dealing with the cold."

Fishlegs simply nodded earnestly.

"Whoa. Hardcore." Jack replied.

"Although… you're not really in a position to talk, Hiccup." Fishlegs added, chuckling.

Hiccup glared. "Yeah well at least I didn't _lose_ mine."

The white-haired boy screwed up his face in confusion, looking between the two of them. "Am I… missing something, here?"

Hiccup stared at Jack as though deep in thought about something, before bringing up a fist to rest in his palm, as if coming to a realization. "That's right, you haven't really been told, have you?"

Jack shrugged. "I'm guessing not?"

"Ah, well. It's not really important."

Fishlegs shot him a bemused look.

"Anyway, we really should get going already." Hiccup added.

Fishlegs, apparently willed to do so by Hiccup, kept quiet and shrugged as he voiced his agreement.

Jack knew that it was perfectly obvious that Hiccup was avoiding talking about something with him. It troubled him a bit. But having decided his companions were probably right, he conceded to leaving, the three making their way back into the town proper while cracking light-hearted jokes about Gobber's interchangeable hands.

Late that night, as Hiccup was preparing for bed, he would receive a text message from Jack, asking him if he was free on the following day to paint. Hiccup's heart would hammer in his chest as he replied with a yes.

.

* * *

.

Thursday, thankfully, saw a persistence in the sunny weather for Berk, with the warmth climbing back up into enough highs that Hiccup could revert to his preferred hooded jacket rather than the heavier coat.

_[In 200 feet, make a left turn onto Pinnacle Road.]_

The digital voice of his phone rattled off instructions to him as he stared at the screen, the device held tightly in his hand guiding him toward the address Jack had texted to him. Carried along in his right hand was a medium-sized trunk of sorts, inside of which resided an assortment of paints (acrylics, chosen for this occasion), a well-used palette, and several different varieties of brushes, cleaners, and thinners. Hoisted under his left arm, pressed against his side to prevent an unwanted fall, was his easel (folded up for easy transport) and a blank canvas, freshly purchased twenty minutes ago from, as it happened, The Blank Canvas.

Toothless trotted along beside him, seemingly very pleased at being able to join his human on an outing two days in a row.

"Should be right around here…" Hiccup murmured to the cat, walking down the road to catch sight of the address he was searching for. "Ah, there it is."

A large house greeted him as he double-checked the address printed prominently on the front, and Hiccup raised his eyebrows, somewhat impressed. "And he was talking big about _my_ house." It certainly wasn't as large, that much was definitely apparent, but honestly the place reeked of a certain level of fanciness that was much less deliberate than Hiccup's own home, and was much more natural about it. He knew that housing in Berk didn't run as expensive as it did in a hell of a lot of other places, but even so, Mr. North had to have had quite a bit put away to afford this place, in all likelihood.

Toothless nudged at his heel and reminded him that he should probably be heading to the door. "Right, right, sorry Toothless."

He made quick work of the walkway, arriving at the door and, noting the presence of a doorbell, rung it to signal his arrival. A pleasant chime could be heard sounding throughout the house, followed not long afterward by the slapping sound of bare feet smacking tile in a hurried run.

The door swung open a moment later and there stood Jack, beaming at his friend's arrival. "Hiccup, hey!"

Hiccup took in the other boy's appearance, dressed rather plainly in a pair of jeans (which definitely didn't fit his legs in an entirely too enticing manner, not at all) and a loose, thin, long-sleeved tee shirt of sky blue, the sleeves rolled up to the elbows (Hiccup certainly didn't notice the tiniest traces of exposed skin as that shirt rode up a bit when Jack lifted his arms even a little, nope). He hadn't been wearing these clothes at school today. And it hadn't been _that_ long since it had let out. Did he seriously change right when he got home? Hiccup wanted to scoff at the vanity, a clear indication that Jack wanted to look a specific way in his painting.

"Hey there, Jack." Hiccup replied, edging his way past the boy and into the den, which he noted was covered in tile, unlike his own carpeted living room. The tile continued to stretch into the kitchen, he could see, in a rather seamless pattern. "So, where are we doing this?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

Jack snickered, scratching at the back of his leg with a toe. "Well, I was thinking my room would be the best place for it. You know, that way if you spill any paint or something, we don't risk getting it on anything that isn't mine. North would probably kill me he found any paint on the furniture or something."

Oh. Lovely. He'd be painting Jack in his bedroom. Alone. He tried not to let his bothered nature show on his face. "Sure, sounds good. Fair trade, I guess – you've seen my room, after all."

Jack laughed before glancing back behind him, noticing that Toothless had yet to cross into the house. "You coming, Toothless?"

Hiccup glanced back, coughing. "Oh, uh, Toothless doesn't actually do well with other people's homes. Unless it's my house, he's never really liked being indoors. It's a nightmare to get him to the vet."

Jack nodded, amused at this as he crouched down to give the cat a pet. "Soooooo, do I just leave him outside…?"

The cat meowed, as if in answer, before Hiccup could say anything. He then proceeded to stand and make his departure, wandering off to sniff about Jack's yard.

"Don't worry about him." Hiccup reassured. "He'll be around, and will be waiting for when I'm done here."

"Strange cat." Jack remarked with a chuckle, closing the door behind him as he stepped past the other boy and ascended the wooden stairs. "Come on, this way."

Hiccup followed, noting the transition from tile to wood to carpeting upon reaching the second floor as a pleasant one, a smart choice. He hung a right at the landing and followed Jack down the hall to his room, taking notice of how quiet the house seemed.

"Where is everyone?" Hiccup asked as he entered the other boy's room, eyes taking in the sight of the blue-hued space. A variety of posters hung all over the walls, a few action figures could be seen set up on display, there were a few stray clothes littering the floor in odd locations, a small TV tucked into the corner, and a rather large bed which occupied the majority of the space. It was a smaller room than his own, almost cramped with how many personal belongings were packed in.

"Oh, well North's at work." Jack replied to the brunette's question, kicking a few things out of the way and revealing a game system tucked in a cubby beneath his TV, previously having been covered up by a discarded shirt. "And Mary's at her friend's house – Hilde, I think her name is – so it's just us here."

Hiccup couldn't suppress the swallow he took, but he was pretty sure Jack hadn't noticed it. He busied himself with setting his trunk down and getting the easel set up, extending and unfolding it to its full length before carefully setting the canvas upon it, grateful that he hadn't jostled it too much on the walk over. "Ah, well, alright then." he replied, face hidden behind the canvas for a moment as he adjusted the angle.

"So what should I do?" Jack asked, and Hiccup's attention was pulled back onto his subject, seeing him looking a bit awkward, standing around in the middle of the floor, fidgeting.

"Oh, uh. Just, sit on the bed." Hiccup told him, moving the canvas to the side a bit so he could keep a clear view of Jack as he worked. He popped open his trunk and crouched down to pick out the palette and paints he could already tell he'd be using, squirting generous doses onto the wooden surface and preparing a cup of thinner as well, for future use.

He looked up to see Jack posing in an incredibly unnatural position, leg raised, elbow propped on his knee, and eyes cast to the side.

"Jack, stop that."

"What?" Jack asked, seeming genuinely confused. "No good?"

"Absolutely not, I don't want you to look like you're intentionally posing. Just… ah, be natural, you know? Here, sit back against the wall," Hiccup approached him, his artistic side taking over and causing him to ignore his nerves as he placed his hands on either of Jack's shoulders and pressed him further back on his bed. Jack obliged, scooting backward until his shoulders rested against the wall, leaning back a bit. "Now just get comfortable. Propped against the wall like that, position yourself however you'd normally do so to be cozy."

"A-alright." Jack replied, coughing as his shoulders relaxed a tad, and one leg moved to hang off the edge of his bed. The other curled upward, almost defensively, towards his chest, a gesture which was emphasized by him wrapping an arm around the limb loosely.

"That's a good start." Hiccup nodded, heading back over to the canvas and discarding his jacket, rolling up the sleeves up his shirt. "Alright, just, stay like that for a moment."

The brunette picked up his palette then, hooking his thumb into it and selecting a fine, thin brush from his collection. He stared at Jack for a moment, lip sticking out as he searched for some more inspiration.

Dipping his brush into blue, he began to work. Moments passed, time marched onward, and the ticking of clock hands emphasized the steady beat of one, determined heart, while its rhythm formed a disjointed jumble of beats with another, nervous one. Jack kept casting his eyes back and forth, legs jerking involuntarily, fingers tightening and untightening.

"Jack, would you stop fidgeting?" Hiccup asked, almost exasperated. "I told you, relax."

"Okay! Sorry…" Jack mumbled back.

Hiccup stopped painting and looked up. He released a sympathetic sigh. "Jack, what relaxes you?"

Jack looked surprised by the question. "Uh… well, music, I guess? Certain kinds anyway. I mean usually when I want to relax I just unwind on my bed and think about stupid stuff." he explained with a chuckle.

"Yeah?" Hiccup asked, sharing a smile with him. "What kind of stupid stuff?"

"Uhm. Well, let's see…" Jack thought about this, and Hiccup could see some of the tension disappearing from between shoulders. "Like if clouds had a flavor other than water, what would they taste like? People like to imagine cotton candy or ice cream, but I think to myself why not something random? What about apple, you know?"

Hiccup chuckled. "Or lemon."

"Yeah, or lemon!" Jack replied, and his posture slackened, one of his legs stopping in its jittering.

Hiccup quietly began to paint again. "Ever think to yourself what it would be like if the sky was a different color?"

"Oh definitely." Jack replied, humming his agreement. "You think to yourself 'Well that would just be really weird,' right? But if that was just the way things were, no one would think it was weird. Like if you went your whole life with a red sky, you'd think the idea of a blue one would sound freaky, right?"

"Yeah, right." Hiccup replied, amused that Jack's thoughts seemed to echo exactly that which he had thought to himself multiple times. "And maybe there's some parallel world where that's exactly the case and another me and another you are having this exact conversation about a hypothetical blue sky."

"Oh man, yes." Jack laughed a response, and his posture was becoming gradually more reclined. Hiccup made a couple of quick adjustments accordingly. His fidgeting seemed to have come to a complete stop as he stared at the wall. "Makes me think though. I heard once about that one theory that like, every time you make a decision, another reality exists where you made the opposite decision, and there's millions of other realities that are all defined by those different decisions."

"Kind of crazy to imagine, isn't it?" Hiccup asked, though his gaze was trained on the folds of Jack's shirt against his pectorals, trying to get the painting to be an accurate recreation of the effect.

"More like scary. I mean, if I think about all the other mes and what their lives could have been like…" Jack trailed off, lost in thought.

It wasn't long before Hiccup picked up the conversation again, asking Jack more seemingly random questions and simply helping the boy unwind. Eventually the conversation simply faded to comfortable silence, the sound of two people breathing being all that filled the room. Jack's nerves about the situation seemed to have disappeared altogether, and he slouched easily against the wall, hands loose and open, leg still bent but in a relaxed fashion, the other hanging limply.

His eyelids twitched, already at half mast, and Hiccup noted that he must have been so relaxed at this point that he might be dozing off. Hiccup didn't mind if he did. Focusing on the work, dipping his different brushes into different colors, meticulously capturing details, it had all done a marvelous job of distracting Hiccup from his own worries, his own reservations about this close, quiet scenario the two found themselves in.

It was with this sense of calmed clarity that Hiccup found he could drink in every detail of the boy before him, both for the sake of artistic accuracy and for the sake of his own personal interests. A wide brush swept over an expanse of cream to add definition to a prominent clavicle, another brush added a touch of white, a spot of highlight glinting off of a fine, sloped nose. The artist diligently made use of dynamic shading, attempting to capture the way the light played off of those hanging toes _just right_, absently admiring their shape as he did so. His eyes swept up along narrow, wiry arms, resting at the soft rise and fall of a chest. He could see the faint lines of mild definition beneath the boy's shirt, definition that told of light muscles in his chest. Nothing amazing, and yet prominent and visible all the same. His entire body, lithe and tight with only the barest fractions of visible muscles, told of a boy who ran a lot, who jumped, who climbed, who played, not to stay fit but simply because he _wanted_ to. Simply because he enjoyed it.

His paintbrush moved almost with a mind of its own, thoughtlessly seeking to craft a fabricated image, a pale reflection of the real image, but doing so with such earnest intent and determination that it was as though the canvas itself responded, morphing itself simply to meet the whims of the moving brush, and Hiccup could see that the image indeed was coming alive, the details were becoming more and more visible, the picture was becoming more real. He zeroed in on some of the final details, the curvature of a pair of fine cheeks, the delicate, long lashes that hung from drowsy eyelids, and two of the deepest pools of sparkling sapphire Hiccup had ever had the privilege of gazing upon. Jack's lips were parted just slightly, and Hiccup let his mind wander to ideas, questions, wondering what it would be like to simply drop the paintbrush, cross the distance of the bedroom and kiss him ever so softly. What would that feel like? Would those lips be as soft as they looked? Not once did his composure slip during this reverie, far too focused on the work to allow for such a thing.

His brush put the final accents on a lock of tousled, white hair, and Hiccup looked upon his portrait with a feeling of looking upon real beauty. Because that was the truth in its purest form. Jackson Overland was the most beautiful human being Hiccup had ever laid eyes upon, he realized, and this painting, in all its glory, still couldn't hope to capture more than even a fraction of that beauty.

His cheeks reddened, his work-induced trance fading as he finally became fully aware of the breadth that his thoughts had traveled while he had painted. "Jack." Soft. His voice was soft, fragile, as if not wanting to shatter the stillness of this perfect moment.

Jack's eyes slowly returned to full attention, as if he too was taking special care to keep his movement slow, languid, preserving the quiet and the relaxation. "Hm?"

"It's done." Hiccup's voice was hushed, but clear as a bell in the silence.

Jack blinked the haze of relaxation from his gaze and pulled himself up to his feet, wordlessly stepping over to the portrait Hiccup had just created. His breath caught in his throat.

"Oh my god…" he managed, one hand raised to his scalp as he stared. "Hiccup… this is…" he laughed, breathlessly, embarrassed and feeling a touch arrogant because it was a painting of _him_ but needing to be honest all the same. "It's beautiful. This is… I think it's better than any of the other portraits I saw." Jack stated. "Honest, I swear, and it's not just because it's of me, it's…"

Hiccup was smiling, in spite of the tightly-wound ball his heart was working itself into; he felt as though his soul was flying freely at the praise.

"I can't describe it." Jack finally settled, laughing again as he rested his hands on his hips and turned to look at his friend, standing beside him. He giggled. The brunette, throughout the course of his work, had somehow managed to get small specks of paint all over his shirt and arms, and the sight of him was simply hilarious. "You know, Hic, I think you missed a spot."

Hiccup glanced up at him, clearly confused. "Pardon?"

Jack responded by dipping his index finger into a splotch of green paint on the boy's palette, which he then brought to his nose, tapping against it. He smiled playfully. "There we go."

Hiccup went cross-eyed, staring at his nose which now had a rather large green spot adorning the tip. He gazed back up at the taller boy, expression unimpressed, before then turning into his own puckish smirk. He retaliated by dipping his brush into a pool of sky blue, wasting no time in smearing a long streak across Jack's right cheek. "And there _we_ go."

The two boys stared at each other for a moment before falling into a fit of giggles. Jack glanced at the boy's hands, arching a brow in an intrigued manner. "Oh, hey. I just noticed you're left-handed." he pointed out, seeing how the boy held his brush.

Hiccup nodded as he set the brush with the others in a cup of cleaning fluid to simmer for a bit, setting the palette down onto the lid of his trunk. "Yep, just another little oddity, huh?" he remarked with a trace of amusement. He quietly relocated himself to Jack's bed, sitting on the floor and resting his back against the side of the mattress. He glanced up at Jack and patted the spot on the floor beside him. "Come on, let's give it some time to dry."

Jack laughed a tiny laugh as he nodded and joined the freckled boy on the floor, resting his weight against his bed as well.

"So Jack." Hiccup started, plucking at bits of the carpet absently.

"Yeah?" Jack asked.

"Do you still want to hear about my mother?"

Jack was immediately at attention, giving Hiccup a hesitant glance, eyebrows lifted in confusion. Hiccup made no move to take back the offer, or expound at the moment. Slowly, the white-haired teen nodded. "…Yeah. I do."

Hiccup nodded, looking at no one. "Well then."

.

* * *

.

Stoick rarely had moments such as these. Moments of silence. Moments of reflection. Moments where he could be without the bustling working men near his office or at the wharf, moments where he could sit alone in his home, with Hiccup out and about. Moments where he could stare longingly at the small, framed photo of his wife, held very carefully in his powerful hand.

Moments where he could allow himself to be vulnerable, with the only eyes trained upon him being the eyes of his beloved from her photo. "Val." he said, eyes glassy and moist, brow creased. He tried to muster a smile for his wife, his dearly departed Valhallarama. He couldn't manage it. "What am I supposed to do?" he asked her.

The lights were out in the living room, the sun outside was setting, all was silent. "Things aren't getting better." He spoke with an air of hopelessness, fighting back the tears even though he knew that only she would be there to see them. "Hiccup, he… he just grows more and more distant, every day… And oh, how he's grown!" he added, trying to force some cheer into his voice. "He's gotten so much taller, dear. You would be so proud." The great man brought one of his hands to his face, swiping it slowly downward until it cupped his chin, covering his mouth. He nodded at the photo, assuring. "He's still not as big as the others. But you would be the first to say that that's alright, wouldn't you?"

Her face continued to smile back at him, and he felt a single drop of moisture roll down a cheek before soaking into his vast beard. "He doesn't want anything to do with me." he stated quietly. "I try and I try, but there's… there's something _there._ He won't let me in. He won't tell me anything. He puts up a big act, but I know it's faked. And just… he's not who I thought he'd be when he was a child. And now, with Spitelout, and the challenge he's thrown down… Val. Help me. I need you. I've never stopped needing you. Hiccup is not the boy I wanted him to be. But whenever I started to have doubts about his future, what he would do with his life, _you _were always there to help me see him better. What am I supposed to do now that you're gone?"

His voice trembled, and a few more tears were shed. He set the photograph on the coffee table and sniffed loudly. His hands were folded in his lap as he thought back.

_Thought back to the day of Hiccup's birth. He was so small. So tiny, even for a baby. Stoick could hold his tiny body in one hand. There was Valhallarama. She looked upon the babe with such adoration. Stoick stood near her, smiling as well. His heart swelled with pride. This tiny, tiny child was _his_ child. He couldn't be more proud._

_He saw the first day he'd taken Hiccup fishing. He saw himself calling to the boy, telling him to focus on his line and stop hunting for trolls. Oh, he was gonna let Gobber have it for filling the boy's head with that nonsense, rest assured. He saw himself shouting when Hiccup let his fishing pole fall off of the dock and into the sea, sinking quickly. Hiccup started crying then, but then there was Valhallarama, soothing him and soothing Stoick and making the great man see how wonderful it was that Hiccup had such an imagination. Her darling little Hiccup._

_He saw the boy's first day of school. How worried he'd been dropping him off. He saw how he came home crying. He saw his mother soothing him again, asking him what was wrong. He remembered the pain he felt in his heart when he heard his son tell them both about how the other children had made fun of him. How they had treated him badly. Val seemed troubled too. The three of them sat on the couch and watched movies together that night. He remembered Hiccup curling into his father then, taking comfort in his larger-than-life presence. He saw himself resting an affectionate hand on the boy's head. He heard himself telling him that everything would be alright eventually._

_He saw the day that everything was not alright. He heard his son asking why they called him Hiccup. He saw his nine-year-old boy more upset than he had ever been before, upset and fed up with how the other children teased him. He heard the boy crying in indignation, asking why they had given him such a terrible nickname. He heard his wife trying to calm him down, explaining how much she loved his nickname, how he would always be her darling, precious little Hiccup. He heard his son denouncing the name, calling it stupid, calling his parents stupid for giving him a nickname that brought him nothing but ridicule. He heard his son tell his mother that he hated her before running out the back door._

"_Hamish Horrendous Haddock III!" he heard himself bellowing, but the boy was gone. He saw Val looking devastated, making for the door, but saw himself holding her back. "Let him cool off." he had said. "He'll be back."_

_He heard the announcement. He heard the news which warned of the freak blizzard moving in rapidly. He heard the warnings that all residents should stay indoors at all costs. He saw Valhallarama frantically grabbing her coat and getting in the car before Stoick could stop her, desperate to find Hiccup and get him inside._

_He saw the winds pelting and the snow burying the world._

.

* * *

.

_Hiccup was trying so, so hard to get home. But he couldn't see. He couldn't see hardly anything. Everything was so white. The streets were covered in snow. The buildings were buried. He was almost sure he was on the right street but couldn't tell anymore. He was sure he was crying but the wind was so loud that he couldn't hear himself. He wanted to go home. He wanted his mommy. He wanted to tell her he was sorry. She and dad would be along soon, right? They'd find him, wouldn't they?_

_There were bright lights ahead. The child looked up and for a brief second he saw his mother's face through the windshield, her eyes wide and terrified as she saw him there, in the middle of the road, all too late. He saw the car swerve in an effort to avoid hitting him. He watched in horror as the wheels lost traction, as the vehicle skidded on the ice and went sailing for the sidewalk. Hiccup watched the car careen into the side of the nearest building, its front end crunching deafeningly, the metal lurching forward and breaking, the sound of glass shattering._

_Then he heard silence. He frantically ran to the car, yanking on the passenger side door, trying to pull it open but it wouldn't budge. There were no more sounds inside the car. There were no movements. He cried for his mother to answer him. He begged her to open the door._

_He would never receive a response._

Jack watched, eyes wide and bordering on tears as Hiccup relayed the tale, the brunette making no effort to hide the tears that came unbidden as he told his story. Though it was clear he was fighting them as they came, trying to ensure that as few of them fell as possible. His voice remained steady, for the most part, through the telling. The slightest of trebles had come to him near the end. His expression reflected an almost stony calm, but the tears that silently rolled down his cheeks betrayed the façade.

Jack swallowed heavily, feeling a deep anguish in his chest, an anguish born of deep understanding for his friend's situation.

"I don't ever want to be called Hamish again." Hiccup spoke again, not looking at the other boy. "Beca-… Because…"

Because the name 'Hiccup' was all that he had left of her. He didn't need to say it. Jack reached out then, pulling the shorter boy into an unexpected, tight embrace. Hiccup was shocked, but he did not resist. Rather, he simply closed his eyes and held on tightly to Jack, letting himself be held as he brought his emotions under control. How strange, Hiccup thought, that it had only been a week, right to the day, since the last time he had found himself in this kind of situation.

Stoick had embraced him like this a week prior. And let him release his pent up emotions. But Hiccup wouldn't cry this time. Not on Jack. He let no more tears fall as the boy held onto him, but neither did he make any move to block his feelings off. This contact, so secure, so assuring, he relished it. Faintly he became aware of rocking. Swaying. Jack was moving them very gently, side to side, as he tightened his hold.

"I understand, Hiccup." he spoke softly into Hiccup's shoulder, and Hiccup wondered if _he_ was about to cry for some reason. "I do. I know what it's like."

That was all he said on the matter, and Hiccup almost felt compelled to question him. But he held himself back. Jack would speak when he was ready. Just the same way Hiccup had. It felt like they had been at this for several moments. When Jack finally loosened his hold, pulling back and chuckling sheepishly, Hiccup's silent tears had vanished, and the brunette was able to fix him with a shaky smile. The sight of each other's faces, tear-streaked and melodramatic, strangely had the two of them laughing again, more genuinely, finding the whole situation to be entirely funny now.

"You look so dumb." Jack teased.

"Oh, you're one to talk." Hiccup replied. "You look like a goldfish, gaping like that."

Jack turned away, laughing while he wiped his face on a sleeve. Hiccup could see the pink on his cheeks, and was sure he was probably in a similar boat. Embarrassing. What a way to bond. Hiccup watched as the other male made his way back over to the painting, smiling at it with satisfaction, and decided he'd join him. The two stood and stared at it again for several moments, Hiccup noting how it was already drying nicely, developing a nice sheen.

"It really looks good, Hic." Jack spoke, nodding proudly. "You're fantastic."

"Thanks." Hiccup replied, short but sincere. "And… thanks for listening, Jack."

Jack's smile softened. "Yeah. I want to talk to you too, by the way."

Hiccup glanced up just in time to see Jack cast a meaningful glance over at the corner, where a large stick of some kind was resting next to his snowboard. Hiccup cocked his head curiously at it, intrigued by the shape at the end. It reminded him of those shepherding staves he'd seen in illustrations. Jack sighed as he looked at it. "But… not just yet. Not after all that."

Hiccup nodded, understanding perfectly.

"So, the painting you did for the showcase then." Jack changed the subject quickly. "Would it be okay with you if I saw it?"

Hiccup smiled, self-conscious but amused. "Anna has it locked up safely at the school, until the day of the showcase. I'm not allowed to tamper with it anymore since it's been submitted and accepted as it currently is. But she might consider letting us look at it."

Jack smiled. "I'd like that. When is it, by the way? I don't think you ever told me."

"The twelfth of January."

"I want to be there for it."

It was agreed upon then and there.

The remainder of the day, what little was left of it, was basically pissed away by the pair from there. They played video games and shouted at each other, they ate food, they laughed at dumb things on the internet. Soon enough it came time for Hiccup to head home, and in what seemed like no time at all, he was walking down the front walkway toward the sidewalk, carrying his supplies with him while Toothless trotted loyally beside him, having been waiting patiently the entire time. As Hiccup moved away, he turned to give Jack one more look. The teenager was leaning in his doorway, propped on his elbow as he so frequently seemed to enjoy doing, watching Hiccup go. Hiccup stopped and stared for a moment, and he stared back. The look on the other boy's face… Hiccup was no expert on body language, but he found himself thinking that that expression was almost adoring.

As he turned away to walk out of sight, he legitimately considered, for the first time, that it might be possible. He wondered if it could be that Jack may have actually felt something for him too. He started to feel hope. And simultaneously he felt fear.

.

* * *

.

Well this was turning out to be a fantastic waste of a day. Astrid huffed a sigh as she meandered around the shopping plaza, scanning the area for anything that would catch her interest. There were more than a few places that were plenty of fun to go, and she had some money to burn, but none of those places were very fun to check out when one was by oneself. Go figure that she would be completely free as a bird after school today only to find out that Hiccup had something he had to help Mr. Mulch with, and Fishlegs had his writing club, and her dad even had the day off from work today, which meant no going home to train with Stormfly. Jeez, and the show was coming up soon…

She grunted in annoyance, blowing her fringe from her face as she plopped down on one of the plaza benches. Some Friday.

"Am I seriously about to sit here and people-watch?" she asked herself as she rested her chin in her palm, delicate-looking fingers falling across her lips as she scoured the crowds. It was official. She was bored.

But it seemed that the gods may have been smiling upon their forsaken daughter today, for Astrid soon noticed among the crowd of Friday afternoon shoppers a glimpse of white; not an unusual color in Berk, what with all the snow, but to see it on someone's head? A little less usual. She hopped to her feet, pushing her way past the thick crowd in an attempt to maintain a straight line, curiosity driving her steps.

She was awarded by the eventual sight of Jack, who seemed to just be finishing looking through a store window, about to make his way in.

"Jack?" she called, catching him by surprise as he spun quickly to face her.

"Oh, Astrid, hey!"

She narrowed the distance between them further, stepping into comfortable conversation range and smiling pleasantly. "Hey, fancy running into you here. What are you up to?" To be honest, she was a little surprised to see him at all. Over the last week, he and Hiccup had been spending so much time together it was as if they were dating already… She, ah, kept that little thought to herself.

"Oh, well, uh, I was thinking about buying something from here." he answered, gesturing at the building behind him.

Astrid glanced up, taking note of it for the first time. "Oh, The Blank Canvas? That's Hiccup's favorite place." she observed, inner satisfaction growing.

"Hahaha, so it is…"

He was looking away. Astrid narrowed her eyes. "And what were you planning on buying?"

"Oh." Jack replied, returning his eyes to hers. "I was going to buy a model."

"I didn't know you were into those."

"Well, I mean, I've never built one before, myself. But I thought it might be, you know, fun. To try, I mean."

He seemed unreasonably sheepish at this mention. Astrid made the assumption at that moment that he was probably planning on asking Hiccup to build it with him, likely having seen some of the models Hiccup had in his room. She resisted the urge to giggle at him.

"Hey Jack, do you wanna hang out?" Astrid asked somewhat abruptly.

The male's eyebrows rose a bit, clearly surprised, but it didn't take more than a second or two before he was smiling. "Yeah, that sounds awesome Astrid."

"Cool. Then let's get your model first, and go from there."

.

* * *

.

As it turned out, 'going from there' ended up being Jack inviting the girl back to his house to kill the afternoon, after Astrid had lamented to him what a boring day she was doomed to have while the two had picked out the model Jack wanted.

And as it further turned out, that little idea could not have been more pleasing to Mary, who was practically bouncing off of the walls in happiness when she saw Astrid walk through the front door with Jack.

"Astrid! Hi!" she had cried merrily, flinging herself at the girl and hugging her tightly. "I missed you!"

Astrid had eagerly returned the hug, patting Mary on the head and giggling at her excitement. "Hey Mary! I missed you too, how have you been?"

Mary had then proceeded to bombard Astrid with news of the exciting week she had lived, and new friends she had made, and how cool Hilde was and what a great house she had and all of the other numerous topics that got ten-year-old girls excited about life. Astrid, to her credit, hung on every word while she and Mary followed Jack into the kitchen.

"Careful Mary!" he called as he prepared a snack for them. "If you keep talking like that, her ears will fall off! You remember what I said about trying to measure how much you say at once?"

"Oh shut up Jack!" she argued jokingly. "That's not even true!"

"Oh, it's so true." Jack stated, knowingly. "You don't know _how_ many times I've had to have my ears surgically replaced thanks to you, kiddo."

"Don't listen to him, Mary." Astrid cut in, smiling mischievously. "He's right, but other girls are immune to that power. You can talk to me as much as you want."

Mary's eyes brightened while Jack made a theatrical gesture of throwing the back of his hand over his forehead, a cry of 'I'm doomed!' escaping his lips. Mary chortled at his expense.

Mary had then asked if Astrid was interested in staying for dinner, explaining that their father's work schedule had finally normalized after a week of playing catch-up with deliveries, and that he would be home by a reasonable hour tonight. Astrid hadn't given it much thought when she replied with a sure yes.

And she couldn't think of a reason why she would have regretted the decision as she joined the Overland siblings in a rousing snowball fight outside (Jack won because he was somehow_ incredibly_ good at snowball fights), followed by video games (Astrid got her ass handed to her by _both_ siblings, though Mary constantly beat Jack as well), followed by relaxing on the couch, simply watching TV as they awaited North's arrival home, which would allegedly be in another twenty minutes or so.

Astrid reclined easily on the comfortable sofa, her eyes taking in the images on the large television screen with no real interest, though she laughed a few times here and there, stroking Mary's head. The girl, apparently tuckered out from their playtime, had managed to fall into a light snooze on the older girl's lap, and Astrid figured she could stand to let her sleep.

"You're really good with her." Jack spoke softly from nearby. Astrid lifted her eyes to him, seeing that he was glancing proudly down at his younger sister.

The blonde chuckled warmly. "Yeah, well, I always kind of wanted a younger sibling, you know? Would have been nice." she answered, a twinge of sadness in her voice.

Jack nodded in understanding. "I'll bet. You're an only child?"

"Yeah…" The girl readjusted her hand and smoothly ran her fingers through Mary's hair. "That I am."

"Hey, Astrid…" Jack began tentatively, voice still soft as he regarded the sleeping young girl, a deep frown on his face. "Can I ask you something?"

The blonde nodded. "Go for it."

"How can… How can you ever be sure if something is permanent or not?"

"Permanent?" she asked. He nodded mutely. "Uhm… well that's an interesting question, Jack. But I don't really have much of an answer? I mean, I don't think that's the kind of thing you ever really know for sure, and I mean hey, nothing is _really_ permanent, right? Everything changes sooner or later. It might help if I knew what you were talking about though."

Jack exhaled deeply and ran both hands up through his hair, leaning forward in his seat. "Astrid I'm really glad to have amazing friends like you, and Fishlegs. And Hiccup." Astrid noticed the slightly more special touch on the brunette's name. "But I have to be honest… I'm terrified. I'm worried that it's not gonna last, that we're just going to have to move again, just like every other time North has gotten a new job somewhere…"

"But his position _is_ a permanent one." Astrid interjected, confused. "They can't move him anymore. So why should you be worried about that?"

Jack's downcast expression didn't change. "Just this feeling I get. Thing is, Astrid, this isn't the first time North's been given a "permanent" position. It's happened twice before. And both times we got all excited, thinking 'this is it, this time for sure'," he explained, his voice holding an almost dead quality. "And both times, as it turned out, something came up. The company changed its mind. The conditions changed. North just ended up being _needed_. And that permanent position didn't end up being so permanent after all."

Astrid was surprised to hear the boy talking this way, rather sure that it was the first time she'd ever heard him speak with a notable touch of bitterness. She began to wonder if he was harboring some kind of unvoiced resentment for his father, one that he didn't acknowledge out loud.

"Jack…" she broke a small silence she hadn't initially noticed. She thought carefully, searching the deeper recesses of her mind for the words she wanted to say, finding words that she had silently told to herself countless times. "We don't know how things are going to turn out. That's true." She rocked her head, silently recognizing this. "There's just no way to do that. But the thing is, Jack." She hesitated again, not sure if the words she had chosen were what she really wanted to say. "You have to believe in it."

The words themselves didn't seem all that special. But the conviction that the feisty blonde spoke with was enough to grab his attention.

She stared at him and repeated the words, almost like a mantra, more slowly. "You have to believe in it. Because… if you can't believe in something, then how can you ever hope for something? And without hope, what is there to living?"

"_Hope is new beginnings, mate. Hope is what gives us the will to carry on."_

Jack blinked, the flash of memory coming and going, and he was surprised at how familiar the scenario was. "Belief, huh…" He muttered, seeming to grapple internally with himself.

Astrid gave him a look of sympathy, feeling an urge to try and comfort him. "Jack, do you know why my situation with my father is the way it is?"

He seemed shaken when he turned his attention back to her. "Well, no. I mean, of course not."

Astrid shrugged. "Like I said, I'm an only child. But not by choice of my parents. My mom… she can't have kids anymore. The doctors said she was infertile. Or, she was supposed to be. Somehow I happened, and medical science to the best of my knowledge pronounces it as nothing short of a miracle. My parents were overjoyed when they found out that my mom managed to get pregnant. My dad, though… he was less pleased when I turned out a girl. See, he wanted a boy. A strong, strapping Viking to carry the Hofferson name into glory and bring him vicarious fame and status, and carry the bloodline and all of that…"

"Oh, Astrid… I'm so sorry."

She laughed shallowly. "Well, call it the natural instinct of a parent, but he did love me, all the same. He loves me. I know he does. I could tell he always loved me in his own way, but… I could also tell he wasn't happy with me. He wasn't happy that he hadn't gotten his boy. Of course, I was a naïve little girl when I first started noticing all of these things, and I thought hey, let's make my daddy proud of me. I can be his little boy. So I started doing boyish things. I started learning to fight, I started signing up for sports teams, like soccer, hockey, and track. I had a real talent there, and ended up sticking with it. But what I didn't realize was that I'd trapped myself. I'd definitely made my dad happy, but as I grew older I started to realize that it wasn't what was making _me_ happy. And now that he'd gotten used to tough, strong, boyish daughter Astrid, he started to scoff and ridicule anything remotely girly that I wanted to do. I went in for gymnastics because it was another sport, another achievement, but he still looks at that one as if he's on the fence about it. I had to try and go to prom last year in secret because as soon as he found out I was wearing a pretty gown he blew a fuse and didn't talk to me for a week. He's always criticizing the way I spend my free time, like he thinks I need to spend every second of every day running, and he ridicules my friends just because they aren't big, rough, tough, and brawny. It's all so inexcusable, but I feel like I trapped myself into just living for his approval. And the thing is…" her expression was thoughtful, scrutinizing, mouth hanging open as though only now voicing these things to herself. "I don't hate the sports. I love them. I like running, and gym. I like being tough, I like being able to fight. I don't mind any of that. But I don't see why that should also mean I can't wear dresses, and like dances, and animals."

Jack nodded along as she spoke, finally gaining a clear picture of what had caused the turmoil he had been detecting in her all this time. "…So what are you gonna do?"

"Well, that's where hope comes in." she stated, bringing her story back to her original point. "I don't know how things will go but I've decided to hope. To believe it'll turn out alright. I entered that dog show because I've discovered how much I really love training with Stormfly, and just, grooming and animal care Jack… it's so cool, but I know my dad won't see that. But even so I want to go for it. I want to go for it and I want to believe that somehow it'll work out."

"That's good, Astrid!" The sound of Mary's voice took both teenagers by surprise, and they stared down at the supposedly sleeping girl who was now quite clearly wide awake.

"You little sneak," Jack accused, smirking at the girl. "And how long were you awake?"

The little girl yawned and smiled. "A little while." She glanced back up at the older girl, noticing her embarrassed flush and speaking immediately. "But Astrid, that's really good. I'm happy for you…" Mary sat up, pulling herself from Astrid's lap and stretching for a moment. The next words she spoke, she spoke loudly, and while the sentiment went unsaid, it was clear that the words were meant for the both of them.

"If you really want something, like if you want to do something that will make you happy," she said, looking at them both. "Then you should just do it! I don't know why it has to be more complicated than that! You shouldn't let being afraid stop you from being happy."

The only thing Astrid could think of as she looked at this little girl was that she was probably going to grow up to be a sage. How someone so young could be so profound in her simplicity… Then again, maybe that was indeed just the charm of youth. When you were a child, everything seemed possible. You hadn't yet been weighed down by the implications of cynicism and limitations. But was that such a bad thing? Why did growing up always have to come with accepting limits, with bogging oneself down with "can not" rather than "yes I can"?

Jack smiled warmly at his sister, and seemed ready to say something, but was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. He sighed good-naturedly as he pulled it out, checking the caller. "That's North. I'll be back guys."

Almost as soon as he had wandered off to have his conversation, Mary was quickly tugging at Astrid's shirt. "Astrid?"

"Hm?" she asked, glancing down at the girl.

"I keep wishing that Jack will be happy here, and I really think that he can be. But I'm worried that he won't let himself be happy."

Astrid gave the girl a sad smile. "Well he seems like he's having a lot of fun?"

"Yeah but… he used to smile bigger than that. His smiles don't go to his eyes anymore. Not like they used to."

Astrid almost felt heartbroken at the sound of this girl's voice, feeling how much she must truly have cared for her brother and how sad she seemed to be at Jack's predicament. "When did he used to be happy, then?" she asked.

Mary bit her lip a bit. "A long time ago, before our parents died. I was too young to remember too much. But I know that they loved me and I loved them. But I don't know how it happened. I don't remember. Jack never wants to talk about it, and I've given up on asking." Astrid frowned. That wasn't right. Mary had a right to know what had happened to her parents. "But he was really sad for a long while after that. But then he got better, and we got adopted by daddy, and Jack finally was happy for a bit. I was still pretty young, but I can remember how much he used to smile and laugh and how much he meant it. Jack had a best friend back then who gave him a present, and they were always going on adventures together. But then we had to move. Daddy tried to fight it but he had no choice and Jack had to leave his best friend."

Astrid's eyes fell. So that's what it was. Jack had opened up his heart to someone who meant the world to him, and had had that taken away. He'd been, in his mind, lied to when he was promised a permanent home, and now… well it was plain as day. After moving time and time again (Astrid didn't even know how many times, but she knew it had certainly been a lot), he was frightened of attachment. Astrid could tell he _wanted_ to open himself up to her, to Fishlegs. And especially to Hiccup. But he couldn't make himself. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"Astrid you have to promise not to say that I told you this. And you can't tell Hiccup."

Astrid nodded. "I promise. But can I ask how come?"

"Because…" Mary looked sheepish, wringing her hands together. "I think that Jack _likes_ Hiccup. As more than just friends, I mean."

Astrid almost wanted to laugh out loud. "Is that right?" she asked, controlling her mirth.

Mary looked up earnestly, nodding. "I really think so! But I think he's scared. And I know better than to tell everybody about it, don't worry. That's supposed to be a secret until Jack decides it isn't one. But I think that if Jack likes Hiccup that way, then he should tell Hiccup about all of that himself. It wouldn't be fair for someone else to do it. So that's why you have to promise, okay?"

Astrid nodded firmly, wearing her most assuring smiling. "I _promise_ Mary. But do you know what?"

"What?"

"I know that Hiccup likes Jack, too. As more than friends." she told the girl, winking. "But just like for me, you have to keep it a secret, okay?"

Mary was smiling widely enough to slit her face in two. "Why doesn't he just say something?"

"Because…" Astrid scratched her head, slightly saddened. "He's like Jack. He's scared, I think. He has trouble saying what he wants to say."

"Boys are dumb." Mary decided, nodding firmly. Astrid agreed with her and the two shared giggles and grins.

"And what are you two smiling about?" Jack asked as he strolled back into the living room, hanging up his phone.

The girls merely kept grinning, saying nothing. Jack raised an inquisitive brow at them, but it was clear.

Their lips were sealed.

.

* * *

.

Lights and people and hustle and bustle and screaming and shouting and laughing and the smell of sweet, buttery popcorn. This was typical fare for a weekend at the movies, and the AWD Megaplex in the Berk Plaza was always at its busiest on a Saturday night.

Of course, that was part of the charm, part of the experience. Shoving your way through crowds of moviegoers, enduring screaming children, waiting in line, and laughing at jokes with friends was the whole point of coming to see a film here. If you really wanted to just watch the movie, you could wait for DVD.

"Don't forget, you're buying mine." Hiccup reminded Jack, who groaned as he fished out extra pocket money from his wallet – sure was a good thing that North had been generous with his allowance last week.

"Are you guys excited? I'm excited! I can already see the twists! I love twists! Do you guys like twists?"

"Fishlegs, calm down, please."

"But Astrid! Twists!"

"I swear if there's a dumb twist at the end of this, Fishlegs, I am holding you personally accountable."

"Jack I like extra butter on my popcorn."

"Hiccup come on they are seriously going to charge me an extra seventy-five cents just for freakin' butter, is it really that important to you?"

"Absolutely. Also I want redhots."

"Hiccup, you hate spicy things." Astrid interjected.

"Yeah, but Jack's buying, so I want them."

Jack glowered. "I draw the line there!"

Fishlegs whispered into Hiccup's ear.

"Jack I also want an extra-large drink. Yes, I'll drink it all."

"Hiccup is merciless when he wins a bet, Jack." Astrid informed, juggling her own collection of treats.

"Thank you Astrid, I could tell."

"Guys does anyone know what theater we need to get to?"

"12, Fishlegs, we've been over this."

"Ahh, Fishlegs, you just spilled popcorn all over me!"

"Sorry!"

Darkness, a world of brightness snuffed out as the four paced delicately along dimly lit walkways, the lights already having fallen over the seats as the movie neared its presentation time.

"Watch your feet, everyone."

"Thanks mom." Hiccup sarcastically responded.

"Hiccup I swear…!"

"Ow! Astrid!"

"Ah, sorry Fishlegs, thought you were Hiccup."

"Because I'm obviously not twice his size or anything!"

"Heheheheh."

"Shut up Jack!"

Someone seated further above let out a loud, angry "Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" and the four giggled to themselves as they finally found enough light to take their seats, Jack seated at one end and Astrid at the other, with Fishlegs and Hiccup sitting between the two. They had taken seats close to the front of the theater, where they'd be closest to the speakers and most capable of chatting without drawing attention to themselves.

And that is exactly what they did. All throughout the course of the movie, Fishlegs couldn't stop himself from citing various bits of personal commentary, noting all the interesting cinematic aspects of the production, and pointing out the "seriously flawed acting, I mean come on, I don't even believe that for a second!" Astrid was more content to groan over how stupid the characters were being, making all the classic horror movie mistakes and then lamenting why they had chosen to watch a cheesy horror movie. Hiccup's commentary consisted of sarcastic jibes at the ridiculous lines, as well as joining in Astrid's lamentations.

"Oh, yeah, there's a murderer on the loose and all, but you guys should definitely just start taking off your clothes in the hot tub right now."

"Their parents must be so proud of them, Hiccup."

"I can hear them now. 'Gee, sweetheart, our Jennifer sure is a model citizen, taking her top off in a stranger's hot tub while a killer is running around.'"

"'We did everything right, Mark.' And then the parents shed tears of joy as she gets beheaded."

"Oop, there it goes now."

"That head is so fake." Jack chimed in, tossing his popcorn at the screen.

"I'm really disappointed that they clearly went with a plastic mold." Fishlegs added to the discussion, rubbing his chin. "I mean I understand production budgets and everything, but skimping costs on believable materials just for a longer runtime is meaningless if it's just going to be a longer runtime of crap."

"THANK YOU, Fishlegs." Astrid commended.

The pattern continued in this fashion, and eventually Jack ran out of popcorn to throw and started leaning across Hiccup to take his popcorn so that he could throw that instead. Each time he did so Hiccup could smell him, breathing in a scent he had unwittingly grown very familiar with thanks to the close proximity they had shared recently.

He was beginning to note, rather happily, that the usual butterflies that always seemed to fill his stomach in situations like this had seemed to fade away completely. Now, he was simply greeted by a welcome, easy, fond warmth in his gut every time Jack drew near, or told him a dumb joke, or laughed along with him when Hiccup gave dry replies to said dumb jokes.

He could feel breath on his ear as Jack leaned over, speaking only to him. "This movie is absolutely awful, but I'm having pretty much the time of my life right now."

Hiccup's smile could only be described as dopey, and he could only hope that the darkness of the theater hid it somewhat. "Yeah." he replied. "Same here." He could see Jack smiling at him in the darkness, and they both returned to afflicting the terrible film with their snarky diatribe, alongside Fishlegs and Astrid.

When the night had at long last come to an end, the quartet walked around in the crispy, freezing night air outside, their voices high with laughter and joy. It had been probably the most easy-going, fun night any of them had had in a long, long while.

"Now, it had its flaws obviously, I mean it was utter garbage, but I'd like to point out a few of the unique plot aspects that they _did_ capitalize on compared to other horror films." Fishlegs was saying, gesturing with his hands widely.

Jack laughed from beside Hiccup. "Fishlegs you're outrageous. Alright, let's hear it, tell me more." He nudged Hiccup gently with his shoulder, a familiar gesture, and flashed him a grin as he picked up his pace to walk ahead of the brunette, taking step with Fishlegs as the two delved deeper in the movie's inner merits.

Hiccup watched them with eyes of deep green, his smile completely relaxed. "Astrid." he softly called.

Astrid edged up beside him, drawing closer and granting him a curious glance. "Yeah?"

"I think that we may have a problem." Hiccup stated, quietly and rather calmly, considering that he was suddenly absolutely terrified.

Astrid blinked, glancing ahead and responding in an equally quiet voice. "What's that?"

"I think I'm falling in love."

**.**

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**Dun dun duuunnn. So yep, that happened. Again. And with most of the background information fleshed out and in the reveal, I think we can move forward. Yep.**

**Reviews are, as always, incredibly appreciated, but not necessary. I am glad for those of you who heeded the request last time, so I'm satisfied. Also, I will mention again that my Tumblr (which I indicated in chapter 2's closing note) is a place where questions about the story can be directed. And in fact, I am only pointing this out right now because there have been questions regarding the **_**content**_** of this story that I think should be addressed.**

**So feel free to check that out if you are interested in… **_**content**_**.**

**And also, a bunch of people have done _amazing_ fan art for this story, and it's all arranged neatly in a tag on my blog, so that's another perk to checking it out!**


	7. Inking, Phase 1

**Haaaaaaaappy Sunday! Or, well, maybe it's not quite Sunday by the time I uploaded this, but I was close enough.**

**Anyway! This author's note might be just **_**slightly**_** lengthy due to having a few things I need to say, but I'll try and hurry along.**

**First, my gratitude. Thank you **_**so much**_** everyone who supported me and the story during the period of time when my laptop was dead, it meant a lot to have you all in my corner. Furthermore, I am so very, very sorry that this chapter took forever and a day to get out – though I had the loss of my computer to thank for a chunk of it, the ideas I had also kind of stagnated during that downtime, so it was kind of hard to get back into the swing of things. But, here we are now. Finally managed to push it out, and hopefully I'll be able to pick my pace back up as a result of clearing that hurdle!**

**Second, a huge thank you to everyone who has reviewed, followed, favorited, and just sent general well-wishes. To all of my guest reviewers, know that I would have responded personally to each and every review if I could have, and that I appreciate all of you guys and every kind word you have shared! Meant a ton!**

**And now to address this chapter. I have two things to say on it: first that I apologize if it is frightfully boring, especially after the previous chapter. If it is, it's because I was still getting back into the flow of writing and there were a lot of events to sort of dreg through with this one. Of course, it might not be boring at all and I might just be hating it because I'm a harsh self-critic, but yeah, apologies in advance.  
Secondly this chapter is already pretty damn long, but it was **_**going**_** to be even longer. But there was so much story to cover and so many events to get to, that I decided I'd split it into two parts. The second part is being worked on **_**as you read**_** and is probably going to be up later this week.**

**And last but certainly not least, you may be noticing that the fic has some new cover art! Yes, that art is done by the lovely Lebestiole on Tumblr, known as Loti-Miko on here, and it's just _brilliant_. I plan on updating the fic's cover art with each new chapter, as there have been a few artists who have volunteered their efforts toward it, so I hope to showcase several of these talented individuals! So congrats to Loti for scoring this chapter's Cover spot!**

**Alright, I believe that covers everything, so without further ado, let's proceed.**

**.**

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**.**

**Chapter 7**

**Inking, Phase 1**

**.**

Love really could be a cruel thing sometimes. It was amazing, really, how people could fall in love so very easily. It was an embarrassingly frequent occurrence among human beings. With the way that people went about, falling in love willy-nilly, you'd think the heart was a truly fickle thing. But no. Anyone may have been easily capable of falling for the heart of another, but pulling oneself out of that amorous stupor? Now that was a difficult thing to do. It seemed that once the seeds of love were planted in the all-too-pliant soil that the heart provided, those seeds sprouted and blossomed into traitorous vines, binding you to your emotions. They started trying to dictate your every action, obscuring common sense, and they exposed your innermost vulnerabilities to someone who could easily smash them into pieces. People often spoke of how beautiful and magical love could be, and yes, Hiccup supposed that it could.

But, possessed as he currently was of thoughts of inevitable ruin, his panic would not allow for dwelling on that supposed beauty. As his busy hands attempted to distract himself with their tinkerings, he was more concerned with the all-too-plausible possibility that all of these "wonderful, magical feelings" he was currently enraptured by would be his emotional undoing.

He kneeled on the floor of his garage, his long bangs pushed back out of his eyes with a hairclip as he adjusted the tension on some internal springwork, running schematics in his head and diagnosing why the device he was presently working on had been a failure the first time he had made it. The system of weight recognition was all off, of course, how did he not _see_ that before? If he kept working at this diligent pace he could probably have the gadget up and running again in no time, and better than ever! …And, of course, then he'd need to find something else to work on in order to distract himself.

He heaved a deep sigh and momentarily ceased in his sedulous repairs, dragging a hand down his face as the thoughts again resurfaced. It seemed as though no amount of busywork was going to keep his mind off of things as much as he hoped they would. And really, how was that surprising?

Just hours ago he had arrived at the conclusion that the absence of the butterflies in his stomach when Jack was around, and their subsequent replacement by a familiar warmth and fondness that would not abate, was the result of a wayward, teenaged heart falling head over heels in love with the boy. He knotted dexterous fingers into his hair and yanked a bit, growling under his breath and dropping the socket wrench he held in his other hand. Nearby, Toothless gazed upon his human with evident distress and meowed loudly to remind Hiccup that he was present.

The boy glanced over to his cat, releasing the fistful of his own locks and standing from his crouched position.

"Sorry Toothless. I'm having some difficulty doing that thing I'm supposed to be good at. What was that called again?" he asked rhetorically, sarcastically, before snapping his fingers. "Ah, that's right, _thinking_."

He grumbled and sat himself against the wall of the garage, Toothless following him and curling up at his side. Hiccup pet the cat softly, staring at the opposing wall with a downcast expression.

"What am I gonna do, bud?" he asked. "I don't… This really isn't the kind of thing I know how to deal with."

The feline flicked its ears off to the sides, as though contemplating the matter for himself. He lifted and rested a paw on Hiccup's knee, swishing his tail about back and forth and releasing a rumbling half-purr.

"_You're…" the girl almost gasped, eyes wide. "You're _in love_ with him?"_

The boy lazily reached for his bangs, tugging the hair clip free and dropping it to the floor. His hair fell like a curtain across his forehead, and there was a mild relief now that it didn't feel as though some of his roots were being softly yanked on.

"…_Yeah. I'm just about positive." he had replied, oddly calm._

Hiccup stood again, removing Toothless's paw from his knee and returning his attention to the contraption sitting in the middle of the garage floor as he continued to recall the conversation, picking up the discarded socket wrench as he went.

_Astrid had clearly understood how dire the situation was, though the look on her face was quite possibly something akin to elated. Hiccup wished he could have her romantic optimism. Still, she refrained from having a miniature celebration, and he could also see in her eyes that the gravity this revelation held for her freckled friend was severe from his own point of view._

"…_So what now?" she had asked. The boy didn't seem to have an answer. Astrid took note of the sight of Fishlegs's mother, waiting by her car up ahead for the group of friends, as she had volunteered to drive them all home after the movie. "I guess we can't really talk about this here." the blonde girl remarked._

He twisted the socket wrench repeatedly, tightening a bolt with meticulous care, years of experience guiding his hand as he determined what was "too tight" and "just tight enough". He needed the spring-door to be able to open easily when appropriate while also holding considerable weight.

_After hopping into the cheery woman's car, Fishlegs taking the roomy front seat, Hiccup had been stuffed into the back seat between Jack and Astrid, and had done everything within his power to be as amicable as possible. He had no desire to let on that anything was amiss, even as he and Jack's legs brushed closely against each other repeatedly._

"_Do you four want to go and grab a bite?" Mrs. Ingerman had asked, smiling brightly. "I olways find that bergers are a fine way to top off a moovie night!" she added in her rounded accent, and the promise of cheap, greasy fast food was too much for any of the teens to say no to the offer._

Jack had been especially chummy with him in the restaurant. Hiccup wanted to believe it was just his overactive imagination. The throes of romance had clouded his judgment, his common sense, and he was seeing things that weren't really there, imagining that there was some extra meaning to every little touch and brush. He grumbled to himself, hammering out some dents in the metal tubing that lined the innards of his contraption. Toothless moved away from the racket.

"_Hey Hiccup." Jack had said, nudging the brunette's side from his adjacent seat, interrupting the seemingly thoughtful manner in which he was currently chewing his burger._

"_Hm?"_

"_What's a walrus's favorite fruit?"_

_Fishlegs and Astrid glanced up from their food from across the table, the former raising his eyebrow at Jack. Hiccup fixed his attention on his white-haired companion, a questioning look on his face._

_Then Jack picked up a couple of the plastic straws that were supposed to be used for sipping at drinks, and he proceeded to jam one on both of his upper canines, presenting a caricature of having tusks._

"Straw_berry!"_

_The declaration could only be described as proud. Fishlegs was cracking up and Astrid was very valiantly resisting the urge to laugh at what she _clearly _thought was the dumbest joke she had ever heard. She failed. But Jack's attention had been on Hiccup, only having eyes for _his _reaction (which turned out to be an awkward snort, giggles, and then briefly choking on the bite of hamburger he had been in the midst of swallowing (Jack slapped his back heartily))._

Hiccup growled as he saw that the pounding of his hammer had successfully ironed out one of the dents in the tubing, but had also created a new one due to his careless lack of attention. He dropped the hammer, letting it clatter to the concrete of the garage floor as he wondered, perhaps, if working on something that required such finesse was the best idea when he was so distracted.

"Except working on this thing is _supposed_ to be the thing distracting me from thinking, not the other way around." he muttered irritably.

Deciding to forget the dents for now, he picked the tubing up and affixed it onto a wooden base, inserting new, freshly greased-up bolts that would hold the invention together. Toothless perked up at the sight, recognizing the familiar form of his old automatic feeder as Hiccup began to reassemble the item.

"_Thanks for having me tonight, guys." A bright smile was fixed firmly onto the face of the pale youth as he stepped out of Mrs. Ingerman's car, his house being the first stop. "It was really great."_

"_Hey, you're one of us now." Fishlegs had answered proudly, returning the smile. "We can't not invite you to movie nights."_

"_Yes, and you can be shore that you're welcome in our home any time, lad." Mrs. Ingerman added. "Any friend o' Frodi's a friend to our family."_

_This caused the teen to fidget in place a bit, his smile starting to become a bit dumb, and he nodded. "Thank you. And thanks again, guys." he added, glancing through the window into the backseat and locking his eyes with Hiccup's. The green-eyed teen's breath had caught in his throat at that. "Really."_

He wiped a tiny bit of sweat from his brow – it was surprisingly warm in the garage considering it was probably freezing outside at the moment. Hiccup had been the second to be dropped off, and Astrid had tentatively asked him if she should text him. He brushed her off and said they'd talk on the following day, and almost as soon as he had gotten home he threw himself into his work.

"Alright bud, let's hope this works." he told the cat, who was now seated beside him observing his progress on reassembling the feeder.

Hiccup stood and paced over to one of the garage shelves, where a bag of cat food waited for him. He chuckled to himself as he hoisted the bag over his shoulder, noting the weight. With how frequently he spoiled Toothless with fish and other scraps of leftovers, the cat rarely actually touched his cat food. If anything the stuff was little more than an occasional snack between meals of meats and herbs that the Burmese would filch from the kitchen.

The boy carefully tipped the bag above the tray that crested the feeder, watching as the dry kernels were funneled into the tubing until it was filled. He listened carefully, hearing the telltale noises of the springwork inside reaching maximum tension before spilling open the trap door in the tube, allowing a measured amount of food to cascade into the serving dish at the base.

Toothless closed his eyes in approval and stepped up to the dish, taking a few appreciative nibbles of the stuff. Hiccup was pleased. The food would continue to spill out until it reached a certain weight, measured by the serving dish, which would then cause the spring tension in the tube to reset, closing the trap door. The tightness of the bolts on the door would ensure that the springs wouldn't hit their tension peak again for several hours, at which point the door would then allow more food to fill the dish, providing Toothless with a carefully moderated food intake throughout the day.

Glancing into the tube from the top, the brunette couldn't resist a triumphant grin. "And it's half-emptied and hasn't started spewing food everywhere!" he announced, pleased that he had corrected that little issue regarding the device's weight-sensing. Jack was right, it seemed. All Hiccup had to do was revisit his design specs and he was able to correct the issue, making it functional again…

Swallowing, he took a seat on the wooden chair he kept near his work desk, watching Toothless eat. "What am I gonna do about this, buddy?"

Pausing in his meal, Toothless fixed his vivid greens on Hiccup's softer pair of forests, flicking a few crumbs out of his whiskers.

"I'm not oblivious." Hiccup told the cat, observationally. "I… I notice the way he acts around me. Anyone with a brain couldn't possibly blame me for thinking I've seen, you know, _hints_…"

Toothless sat back and licked his lips. He released a low, rumble-like mewl.

"Don't give me that look." Hiccup retorted. "Thing is, Toothless, as much as it definitely seems like there's been hints and, well, an odd amount of closeness… Maybe, some might even say, flirting…" he blushed, not bothering to hide it with only Toothless looking at him. "The fact remains that I really don't know him that well. I mean, I know him a lot better, I think, than two people would normally come to know each other after a week and a half, but,"

Toothless seemed to roll his eyes at his human, puffing up the fur around his shoulders as he settled more comfortably onto his haunches.

"Look, getting to know him so well in such a short time… That's obviously a contributor here." Hiccup explained, one hand resting on his knee while the other made wide gestures at the feline. "I don't think I would've… I don't think I _could_ have fallen for him like this, otherwise. But no matter how well I've gotten to know him, I still don't know _enough_, Toothless. I don't know enough to get the right kind of, well, _read_ on him. I feel like I'm going crazy because as much as I want to believe that he's been leaving hints, that maybe he might like me back, for all I really know this is just _how he is_. He could just be one of those weirdly affectionate but otherwise completely platonic friends who means absolutely nothing by it."

Toothless had gone back to eating.

Hiccup gave him an unamused expression. "Thank you, Toothless, very helpful." He leaned forward and cradled his head his hands, sighing dejectedly. How had this become so serious, so dire?

His reverie came to an abrupt halt with the sound of an opening door behind him, and he quickly cast his gaze over his shoulder to see Stoick poking his head into the garage from the kitchen side door, clearing his throat.

"Son, it's getting late."

"A-ah, hey dad." Hiccup stood in the space of a second, coughing and wondering (panicking) if Stoick had heard any of what he had been rambling to Toothless about. "Yeah, sorry, just got caught up in work. I'll head to bed in a sec."

Stoick simply nodded his head, that familiar expression of searching for something to say clear on his face. He rested his gaze upon the cat feeder, raising an eyebrow. "Pulled that old thing out? I'd thought you'd scrapped it by now."

"Oh, well, I was going to, but I ended up figuring out a way to fix it. See?" he gestured at Toothless, still happily chowing down and not minding the interruption.

Stoick bobbed his head slowly, and for a moment Hiccup could have sworn he saw an impressed look flash across his father's face. Stoick hadn't ever seemed to indicate much of an opinion one way or another regarding Hiccup's inventions, but the fact that it was a thing that Hiccup did with his own two hands always seemed, at least to Hiccup, like the sort of thing Stoick would respect. His heart almost swelled with pride that his father may have been impressed with his work.

Again that searching expression took him, though, and Hiccup was becoming increasingly sure that there was something on the imposing man's mind. The two stood there silently, awkwardly, Hiccup's arms swinging just barely at his sides in a restless indication of nerves. He puffed out a cheek.

"Well, ah," Stoick muttered. "Yes, make sure to get to bed soon."

"Oh, uh, yeah, right. You turning in…?"

"Turning in." Stoick nodded. The two mumbled 'Goodnights' then, talking over each other as Stoick retreated his large frame back through the side door, closing it behind him.

Hiccup sighed and started cleaning up the workspace, gathering his blueprint designs and various tools lethargically. Toothless nudged his right ankle with his forehead, glancing up at him with a trace of feline concern.

"This really is a mess." Hiccup told him.

.

* * *

.

Heavy grey clouds blotted out the sky in droves, carrying a somber atmosphere with them. The promise of more snow hung as heavily in the air as the clouds themselves, some of which seemed absolutely bloated with moisture – overfed, more like. Hiccup found himself staring up at them, the gloomy ceiling above Berk providing something of an appropriate reflection for his current mood.

Normally Berk's clouds might convey the feeling of tranquility, one of the few meditative joys the boy could take solace in. But as it presently stood, they only seemed stuffy and dank. He shook his attention away from the clouds, though, focusing instead on Astrid as she began clambering up the bright red fireman's pole on the playground.

The elementary school was quiet, deserted. Exactly what one would expect on a Sunday afternoon. And what few staff would be around working wouldn't mind, in all likelihood, if they found that a couple of teenagers had clambered over the chain-link fence to play on the jungle gym. It was rather nostalgic, he thought as he poised himself on the monkey bars absently, noting how much smaller the height of them seemed compared to how he remembered them.

"Seems they get smaller every time we come here." he stated conversationally to Astrid, who had easily reached the top of the pole she had been climbing and was now sliding back down. "My feet are barely an inch off the ground."

Astrid glanced over, smiling fondly at her friend as she watched him swing along the monkey bars, the tips of his shoes brushing the sand pit beneath him as he went. "That's the thing about people, Hiccup. We grow."

Hiccup hopped off the bars as he reached the other end, and joined Astrid over at the chin-up bars. She grabbed hold of the tallest of the three metal constructs, hoisting herself up a few times in a show of natural athleticism before pulling herself up and over, taking a seat on the bar.

"You ready to talk now?" she asked, looking over at him. He had called her half an hour ago with the simple request to "meet up and go somewhere" (having no particular destination in mind at the time), and after having met up, the two had barely said a word to one another until arriving at Berk Elementary. Astrid figured Hiccup had simply been quietly considering what to say, and in that she was most likely correct.

"I guess so." Hiccup replied, placing his hands on the shortest of the chin-up bars – this one only coming up to his chest – and quickly hoisting himself up. He held himself suspended for a moment, a mild show of effort on his face as he tested the stamina of his muscles, before eventually setting himself back down on the ground. He didn't release the bar, and instead just seemed to stare into space. "So where do I go from here?"

The blonde blinked at her friend for a moment, shrugging. "How do you mean?"

"I mean what do I do, Astrid. As in, what the hell am I supposed to do about these feelings I have for Jack?"

"Oh." Astrid looked away, seeming incredibly casual as she gripped the bar she sat on and tipped backwards, hanging upside down for a moment. "Have you possibly considered _telling him_ about them?"

The sputtering look of indignation Hiccup shot her was almost funny enough to make her let go and fall. "Oh, yes, that's a brilliant idea, Astrid. What an ingenious plan you've come up with, there. It's one for the record books."

"I'm being serious." she replied, in spite of her chuckles, pulling herself back into a sitting position.

"Then you're being stupid." Hiccup stated bluntly.

This earned a glare from Astrid, who would have probably smacked him a good one if he had been closer. "Hiccup, really. Don't get me wrong, I understand why you're stressing over this, but don't you think you might be blowing it out of proportion a bit?"

"Have you ever had to deal with this, Astrid?"

Ah. Hm.

"…Yes." Astrid replied after a moment.

This seemed to genuinely surprise Hiccup, but the fact that this was the first he had ever heard of it told him all he needed to know. "Then I'm assuming that you didn't just go up and confess your feelings to whomever it was you liked, either, now did you?"

The girl glowered but nodded. "No, I didn't."

"So then how are you going to tell me I'm blowing this out of proportion?"

_Because Jack actually _likes_ you. _Astrid really wanted to say it, but she held her tongue. Mary had made her promise not to say anything, and she was going to keep that promise. And she supposed Hiccup had a point. From where he was standing, he had no way of knowing if the person he liked really did like him back, or was just being exceptionally friendly with him.

After all, that had been exactly the way Astrid had felt back when she had had that crush on Hiccup, back around the time they had first become friends. And, as it turned out, Hiccup was indeed just being friendly. Astrid had never actually told him about any of that – after all, that was years ago and she'd long since gotten over it, and more recently began to understand that even if it weren't for Hiccup's leanings, the two of them probably wouldn't have worked as much more than friends in the first place.

But that was neither here nor there.

"I guess I see your point." she replied, though it still killed her a little to do so. After all, it seemed almost blatantly obvious to her that Jack liked Hiccup back, and this had only been reinforced by Mary's assertions. But, she reminded herself, the fact remained that she still didn't have any actual _confirmation_ regarding Jack's feelings. After all, Mary had only said she _thought_ Jack liked Hiccup. And while Astrid was willing to trust in the especially perceptive young girl, the fact still remained that she might have been jumping the gun a bit by just assuming it was true.

"I feel like an idiot."

The sudden declaration had her attention again, and she shot the boy a concerned expression. "For having feelings for someone, Hiccup? That's not-"

"For falling in love, Astrid."

"Hiccup, it happens."

"I've known him for a week and a half."

"Yeah, but you've also spent virtually all of your free time with him during that week and a half."

"And yet I clearly don't know even some of the most basic information!" The brunette finally released the bar he had been clinging to, turning to lean against it instead while his fingers knotted themselves in auburn strands. "Like if he's even compatible to begin with! What am I supposed to do, Astrid, go for broke and just tell him? Yeah, that could work out wonderfully."

"Hiccup-"

"'Hey, Jack, you're a swell guy, and we've known each other scarcely two weeks now, but I just thought I'd let you know I'm madly in love with you.' Yeah, that sounds really great. And then he can freak out at me about it-"

"I highly doubt he'd freak out about it-"

"And get all weird and stop hanging out with me at all-"

"Oh come on, Hiccup, you're being dumb-"

"And oh, wouldn't it be wonderful if he started telling everyone all about how I tried to come on to him? Yeah, that'd be great if that got around the school."

"Oh my god!" Astrid shouted, hopping off from the chin-up bar and stomping up to her friend. She took hold of his shoulders and practically throttled him in an attempt to knock some sense into him. "Are you even hearing yourself?"

Hiccup was wide-eyed at the face of his very, very angry friend. He had a bad habit of yammering without thinking sometimes, and quickly backtracked through his last few sentences to try and figure out what had- Oh. Yeah.

"You know, Hiccup, I'm no expert," the girl stated. "But for someone who apparently knows Jack well enough to have _fallen in love with him_ – an especially notable feat considering it's _you_, by the way, mister 'Emotionally Reserved and Distant' himself – you're being incredibly moronic and unfair."

Hiccup swallowed as the girl released her tight (very tight) grip on his shoulders, still glaring as she blew her fringe irritably away from her face. "Do you honestly think Jack would do something like that? Ever? Because if you do, maybe you _shouldn't_ tell him how you feel, and maybe you shouldn't even _hang out_ with him, because at this point I almost feel offended on his behalf for that!"

Hiccup cast his eyes downward. "If you wanted to make me feel like shit, you already succeeded."

"Good!" she replied with fire in her voice. There was silence between the two for a moment as she cooled off, aided by the cold breeze that had picked up. She crossed her arms and spoke again, her voice softer this time. "Hiccup, be reasonable. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that Jack doesn't like guys. Okay, that would kinda suck for you, yes. But come on. I don't even know him half as well as you probably do, and even I can tell that the last thing he'd do is stop hanging around you. I don't know if you've noticed, Hiccup, but the guy kind of adores you. He's always eager to hang out with _you_. He likes me and Fishlegs, sure, and seems plenty happy to see us, but _you're _the one he's always focusing on. Even if he doesn't like you that way, he probably thinks of you as his best friend."

The barest traces of a small smile tugged at the corners of Hiccup's lips at that, his eyes adopting an almost tender expression. "…You think so?" he softly inquired.

Astrid sighed heavily but managed something of a 'You're an Idiot' smirk at the boy. "Yes, Hiccup, I really do."

Silence again.

"…Don't think this means I'm going to tell him though."

The girl groaned.

"Hey, come on, can you blame me?" he defended. "This is still a delicate affair, Astrid. I still don't know how he'll react. And I'm not exactly looking forward to possible heartbreak. Hey, don't give me that look, I don't care if that sounds like generic teenaged melodrama, _it's still a thing._"

She chuckled. "No, no, it's just that it's really funny because this is probably the first time I've ever seen that 'teenaged melodrama' being demonstrated so perfectly by _you _of all people."

"Thank you, really."

"Okay, well, here's an idea then." Astrid stated as she began to wander aimlessly toward the playground's large slide construct, stepping up the plastic stairs. "Your biggest concern is that you don't really know anything about Jack's leanings, right?"

"I wouldn't say biggest, but yes, it's a concern." Hiccup replied, following her.

"Well, have you ever thought about subtly asking? Try and find out if he's ever had any girlfriends?"

"Oh." Hiccup glanced away, stepping onto a small, wobbly chain-link bridge that led toward the cramped-looking slide. He stopped to lean against the railing. "Jack told me he hasn't really had _any_ friends since he was a little kid."

Astrid paused in her ascent toward the slide, looking back at her friend. "He told you that?"

"…Yeah. Said that ever since he was adopted and started moving all over the place he never bothered to get beyond 'friendly acquaintance' with anyone. So I kind of doubt he's been in a relationship."

Astrid nodded slowly. Mary had mentioned something like that when she told Astrid about Jack's one-upon-a-time best friend and how he had to leave him behind. But she hadn't figured that Jack had never had a single real friend since then.

"Hiccup, don't you think that it's kind of significant that he told you that? Or that, if it's true, wouldn't that mean you're the first person he's gotten close with in all that time?"

Hiccup blushed and nodded slowly. "I guess so."

"Okay." Astrid seemed to have given up on her destination toward the slide, sitting down on the plastic staircase instead as she focused her attention on sheepish green eyes. "Are there any more significant matters that have gone on between you two?"

The boy rolled his eyes but made no indication that he wouldn't answer. "The other day, when I painted him? I told him about my mother."

Astrid's jaw almost hit the floor. "You did?" she asked, astonished. He only nodded in response. "That's… wow."

"Is it really that big of a deal?"

"Hiccup, how long did it take before you ever told me about that?"

"Well okay, but you have also lived here all your life and heard about it back when it happened, just like everyone else did."

"Yeah, but how long did it take before you actually told me the _details_? Here, let me answer that for you: a year, Hiccup. That is how long it took before you were comfortable enough to fill me in on everything. How did he react?"

"Well I didn't tell him _everything_." Hiccup corrected, and he tapped his left foot up and down a couple of times. "I haven't told him about my leg."

"But you told him everything else?"

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"He... sympathized, apparently. Told me he understood what it was like."

"He underst-… oh." Astrid trailed off, considering the implications of that statement. There was obviously a reason that Jack and Mary had been adopted.

"You can't mention to him that I said that." Hiccup added. "Pretty sure it was supposed to be personal."

"I understand, Hiccup, I won't say anything. But… did he tell you any more than that?"

"No. He said he wants to, though. But I don't think it'd be right of me to share it with you when he does."

"And you'd be right about that." Astrid nodded. "I wouldn't want you to tell me. Still though, that's… really something. It sounds to me like the two of you are really open with each other. Which I guess makes sense, seeing as how I don't think you of all people could possibly catch feelings for someone you hardly knew." she added with a teasing laugh.

Hiccup scowled. "You know Astrid, you've said 'you of all people' at least three times in the last hour. It's not the most flattering sentiment."

"It's not supposed to be."

A pair of emeralds rolled in their sockets. "Anyhow. So let's sum up what exactly we got accomplished here today."

"Uhm…" Astrid thought about it and frowned. "I guess not a whole lot."

"This pretty much consisted of you attempting to pep talk me into telling him how I feel. Which isn't gonna happen. Not right now, anyway."

"So it _will_ happen though?" The girl pointed out impishly.

Hiccup sighed at her. "Maybe."

"Well okay, so we didn't stumble upon any major revelations I guess." Astrid replied, standing again. "But I still stand by my point. You should just keep trying to get to know him better, since you're so concerned about that. Talk to him about the stuff you don't know yet, since he seems so comfortable with opening up to you. And again, maybe try and subtly figure out if he's interested in guys?"

"How am I supposed to do that?" Hiccup replied. "Last time I checked, Astrid, there really isn't a very subtle way to do that."

"Eh, fair enough. I'll have to think that one over."

"I have no doubt that you will. So, if we're done talking about me, let's move on to you, shall we? The dog show is this Saturday. How's progress on that coming?"

The girl responded with a rather impressively exasperated groan and marched up the remaining steps to the slide, climbing into the coiling, plastic slope that looked too small to comfortably fit her and nudging herself down.

"Hiccup, I'm worried sick about it." she complained as she slowly descended through the loops, her weight clearly not being optimal for the slope that was meant to carry much smaller bodies. "I'm honestly freaking out over it, and I have good reason to!"

Hiccup sighed and nodded. She had a point.

"I have a deadline, as you just pointed out, and me and Stormfly just haven't had enough time or resources to prepare. My dad has been home a lot more than usual lately and I don't want him asking questions about it, so that limits what I can do in the yard. Not to mention that even when we _can _train, my attempts at replicating some of the obstacles are… ugh, it sucks Hiccup, it really, really sucks."

"What all are you going to have to do on the show day?" The boy asked, stepping across the bridge he'd been loitering on and arriving at the fireman's pole Astrid had scaled earlier. He hopped on and slid down.

"There's an Obedience Training portion, where I have to show off what commands Stormfly knows and how well she follows them. That, I'm not very worried about. But there's also the grooming portion, which I _am_ pretty worried about because I haven't had the chance to make any of those shampoo recipes I've been reading up on, and the judges aren't going to be impressed with store-bought stuff."

"And the obstacle course, right?" Hiccup asked. He met Astrid at the base of the slide as she finally reached the bottom, sighing heavily.

"Which is the worst part. All of the professionals practice on replica courses. I can't exactly do that."

Hiccup nodded. "Well, I'd offer my back yard, but-"

"But I don't want your dad to know either, yeah."

"Yeah."

"Go figure that those two have to see each other nearly every day."

"And my dad can be surprisingly chatty."

"So yeah, your house is kinda out."

"Well I don't know what else to tell you, Astrid, I'm kind of at a loss. Fishlegs doesn't have a very big yard, and we have the apparent misfortune that all of our parents know each other and seem to want to chat about everything."

"_Especially_ Mrs. Ingerman." Astrid pointed out.

The two released a collective sigh. A moment later, however, a ringing sound pierced the still air like a lance, the brunette's pocket being the source. Fishing his phone out, he took a glance at his caller ID.

"It's Jack."

Astrid smiled and waved her hand. "Go ahead and answer it, I don't mind."

He quickly nodded before bringing the device to his ear. "Hey Jack, what's up?"

"_Hiccup, hi!" _Jack's voice sounded on the other line, seeming cheerful._ "Hey, sorry if this is last minute, but are you free today? I have this model that I bought, and was thinking maybe you'd want to put it together with me? It's cool if you're busy though, haha."_

Hiccup's heart hammered in his chest rather suddenly. He wanted to build a model? Since when had Jack been interested in models? He could see Astrid smiling all-too-pleasantly at him, and he became aware of the fact that in the quiet of their environment, she could probably hear Jack as well as Hiccup could.

He stepped a few feet away from her.

"A model, huh?" he asked, nerves very apparent in his voice.

"_Yeah, I got sort of interested when I saw the ones you had. But I think I may have bit off more than I can chew with this one – opened it up and it looks pretty complicated, so I thought I'd ask for some help."_

If Hiccup wasn't mistaken, it sounded like he wasn't the only one who was nervous. He coughed a bit, though, glancing back at Astrid. She seemed to be making hand gestures to imply that he should accept the offer.

"I don't know if today is a good day for me, Jack, I have some things I need to take care of. Maybe sometime this week?" He ignored the unamused expression Astrid shot at him.

"_Oh, yeah, no problem."_ Jack answered, and the brunette wasn't entirely sure if that was disappointment he was hearing in the other boy's tone.

"Sorry." he stated quickly. But then, rather suddenly (while he was looking over at Astrid and the threatening hand gestures she was making), a new idea planted itself in his head. He smiled. "But hey, Jack, I have a question for you."

Astrid stopped making her threats at him when his gaze turned meaningful, and she returned it with a questioning one.

"_Yeah, what's up?"_

"Would you maybe be interested in helping me, Astrid, and Fishlegs build an obstacle course for Stormfly to practice on, and could we maybe use your house for it?"

Astrid blinked a few times in surprise.

"_Are you kidding? That sounds awesome!"_

"Great. You free tomorrow after school?"

"_Sure I am, what else am I gonna be doing? Homework? Pft."_

Hiccup laughed, his cheeks warming a bit. "Sounds great then. I'll tell you more tomorrow, alright?"

"_Sure thing, Hic."_

The two said their quick goodbyes and hung up, Hiccup looking at Astrid expectantly. She was looking mildly bewildered, but not necessarily upset.

"It didn't even occur to me till now," Hiccup explained. "But we've got Jack now. And he has a pretty decently-sized back yard. Plus, Mr. North isn't really closely acquainted with any of our parents – not right now, at least – so I figure there's no reason he'd mention anything to them, right? I mean it's kind of our best option."

Astrid nodded thoughtfully after a few moments. "And he _does_ work for most of the day during the week, what with the station and all." Her voice held the telltale vestiges of excitement as she started to see how this could work out.

Hiccup smiled. "You can show me the course on the show's website – I'm assuming they'll have it up there, since they let people practice on replicas, right?"

Astrid nodded quickly. "Yeah, they released the course layout last weekend."

"Good. Then after we take a look, we can start building a replica in my garage while my dad's out, set it up at Jack's place, and then you can finally train on it!"

Astrid was practically hopping with excitement. This was the first good news she'd received regarding the show since her entry had been accepted. "I'm still cutting it pretty close to the wire, but you're right! This could really work!"

She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Hiccup quickly, giving him a light squeeze. He laughed and returned the hug, patting her on the back. "Hey, save the hugs for Jack, he's the one who said we could use his place."

The girl pulled away and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to thank him too."

Things were looking up.

.

* * *

.

"Alright everyone, midterm SATs start _next week_, let me remind you," Anna Zabek announced, an authoritative tone in her voice as she paced before her class (full of groaning students). "And I gotta say, guys, I'm not too impressed with the essays you've turned in! Look, I know nobody likes writing essays, but this is just one of those things we all have to deal with." she explained, hands on her hips. "Remember, I'm not the one who grades the SATs, so I've gotta make sure you guys are writing the way the boring old district prefers it." she added with apparent distaste.

Anna hated the whole "standardized" notion of education. She claimed that her method of teaching aimed to make sure that the students were actually learning things rather than memorizing or parroting back facts, and it usually shined through with the sort of assignments she was known for.

Hiccup slouched in his seat as she continued to talk, sighing at yet another thing he had to worry about. Winter break was set to start next weekend, but not before the hurdle known as the midterm SAT week. He was fairly certain that he was dreading that more than he had on any prior year. _Talk about deadline after deadline, _he thought. _Dog show this weekend, tests next week, yet another football game next Saturday…_

But, then again, at least that game would be the last one Hiccup would have to worry about. Then he'd be switching to Home Ec, and watching Snotlout dance around and make a fool of himself on the field would be a thing of the past.

_Where has he been, anyway?_ Hiccup wondered, jutting out his lower lip. He'd be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the fact that ever since the last game and the (embarrassingly brief) fight, he had scarcely seen Snotlout around at all. He'd caught glimpses here and there, but otherwise his cousin had been like a ghost. And yet all the same, his sudden scarcity troubled Hiccup for some reason, and he couldn't quite place why.

Something tapped him on the back of the head and he blinked, looking up quickly.

"…nd then tomorrow we're going to be writing some practice essays in class." Anna was saying, much to the class's audible displeasure, but she wasn't looking at Hiccup at the moment.

He quickly reached behind his back, feeling for the wad of paper he knew was responsible for the tap on his head that he had felt. He found it and quickly unrolled it, keeping one eye on Anna to make sure she didn't see.

'_UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH tests. I really picked a great time to transfer in didn't I?'_

Hiccup smirked at the messy scrawl on the note, casting his eyes up at Anna again. She was occupied on writing a timetable on the board, which most of the students were copying down. Hiccup, of course, was being irresponsible and writing a response to Jack.

'_You really did. We'll be fortunate to get any decent amount of sleep next week, trust me.'_

He crumpled the paper back up and, after a couple of cautious glances, turned and tossed it gently, managing to land it on the floor next to Jack's seat. The couple of students sitting between Hiccup and Jack simply rolled their eyes and ignored him. Once he saw Jack smile and pick the paper ball up, he turned his attention back to the front, deciding that he should probably pay _some_ attention.

"And on Friday!" Anna was announcing, almost threateningly, before relenting and giving a soft smile. "I'll let you guys catch a break and just enjoy a movie."

There were a few halfhearted cheers.

"Now, time to move on to next week's schedule, just to make sure we're all still clear on how it works. So Monday and Tuesday you'll be testing in Math and Science…"

Hiccup felt the note hit the back of his head again, bouncing off and landing on the floor this time. He quickly picked it up and unrolled it.

'_Gee I'm sure looking forward to that. Also what's she talking about? A whole day for testing one subject?'_

The brunette wasted no time in scribing his reply.

'_Two subjects. We spend the first half of Monday doing Math testing, then we get a long lunch, then we spend the second half doing science testing. And we'll be doing that on both Monday and Tuesday.'_

He almost felt like his explanation was unnecessary, as Anna was more or less explaining it in not-so-much-detail ahead, going on to list the schedules for the other testing days. Hiccup tossed the note back to Jack, and it wasn't long before it was back on his desk again, the two writing each other rather quickly back and forth.

'_That sounds like murder. Are they murdering us, Hiccup?'_

'_Yes Jack, that is exactly what they're doing.'_

'_That should be illegal. :('_

He giggled softly at the little face, hating himself a little for finding it so adorable. _'It really should be. But hey, count your lucky stars you've got Anna for homeroom. We do all of our SATs in our homeroom teacher's classroom, and Anna always brings snacks.'_

'_Whoa, seriously? What kind of snacks? :D'_

Before Hiccup could reply, unfortunately, the note was snatched from his desk, and he realized after the surprise subsided that he had stopped paying attention to what Anna was doing up front. She stared down at him, tut'ing and shaking her head with a vaguely smug expression. Hiccup could hear giggles from a few of the other students.

_Oh no, she's not going to make me read it, or read it to the class herself, is she? _he thought desperately, swallowing.

But to his relief, Anna simply gave the note a cursory look-over, smiling playfully, before crumpling it up and tucking it away and heading back up to the front of the class. "Also, before I forget," she called to the students, who seemed a bit disappointed that there hadn't been any embarrassing note-reading. "Could all of you please take out some paper and write down any foods you're allergic to? I want to make sure I don't bring anything in next week that'll kill you. Oh and you can also write down one snack item you would like me to bring in – if you're lucky, and it's not unreasonable, I just might meet your request!"

Hiccup smiled and suppressed a chuckle, and he didn't need to look behind him to know that Jack was probably excited.

"But no heavy sweets!"

The class groaned, and Hiccup was pretty sure Jack's was the loudest.

.

* * *

.

As the school day progressed a bubbling excitement began to build within Hiccup, and by the time his last class finally let out he was practically counting down the ticking hands of the clock on the far wall. After a brief period of waiting around outside the school's front, he was soon met by Astrid, Jack, and Fishlegs, all of whom had been filled in on the day's afterschool activities to come.

One trip to The Blank Canvas and another to a hardware store known as The Timberjack later, and the quartet found themselves with armfuls of many different lengths, widths, and shapes of wood, which they had a rather interesting time lugging to Hiccup's house on foot between the four of them. Astrid had had to shell out virtually all of her saved spending money on the haul, but she was so brimming with excitement and palpable happiness that you'd never know she was now broke.

"I can't believe we're doing this!" she exclaimed giddily once they had gotten set up in Hiccup's workspace in the garage, the air coming alive with the sounds of hammers and saws at work.

"Seriously!" Fishlegs agreed, sawing a long plank down the middle (using a line that Hiccup had penciled onto it as a guideline). "This is so cool, I can't wait to see everything completed!"

"Hey, Hiccup, am I doing this right?" Jack asked, crouched over four neatly-cut square planks that he had arranged into a box-like shape. He had a nail poised over one corner, a hammer raised hesitantly, as he sent Hiccup a questioning look.

Hiccup looked up from his blueprints (printed out during Lunch period, where he had then planned out in great detail with his friends how they would assemble the replica obstacle course). "Yeah Jack, that's good." Hiccup nodded, seeing that Jack was indeed nailing in the right space.

"The ramp pieces are done!" Astrid announced, setting a triangular board against the wall with another identical piece, as well as a few sloped rectangles. "What should I do next?"

"Ah, good Astrid, let's see here…"

Hiccup had been doing most of the more complicated build work over the last few hours, being the most experienced with the art of crafting and working with wood and metal, but he had also been supervising his friends as he gave them simpler tasks. Those tasks included cutting various boards and planks into specific shapes, piecing together smaller objects, and the like. The larger items (such as the ramp) were left disassembled, as it would be more convenient to move them to Jack's house prior to putting them together.

The brunette architect checked through his pages of plans again before glancing up at his friend. "It looks like most of the larger pieces are all cut out, so can you start sanding the edges?"

The girl nodded and made for Hiccup's desk, where an electric sander lay in wait next to a pair of protective goggles. Astrid plucked the both of them up and wandered over to the various completed items leaning against the walls.

Hiccup was about to turn back to his work when, out of the corner of his eye, he noted Jack giving a slight pout. He smirked to himself. "And what are you so grumpy about?"

Jack snapped his attention up and laughed, clearly embarrassed at having been seen. "Oh, it's nothing. Just, you guys seem to really know what you're doing, and I'm kinda just fumbling with nails here."

Fishlegs snickered at him as he continued to cut into marked lines on varying planks. "Hey, it's not our fault you never took wood shop."

"And besides," Astrid added as she revved the sander a couple of times. "Me and Fishlegs may know more than you, but we're still pretty much nothing compared to Hiccup."

Hiccup waved off her compliment as he went back to carving out a large wooden ring with artistic care, feeling just a tad smug at how perfectly round it looked. "I've just been at it for a while, it's no big deal."

"Right, no big deal, he says…" Jack chuckled.

The garage became a cacophony of tools once again for several moments, from the whirring sander, to the pounding of a hammer. From the measured, heavy cuts of a saw blade, to the intense clatter of a band saw as Hiccup took a metal sheet to the stationary object and began carving it in two.

As the brunette youth held up a cleanly cut sheet for inspection, making sure there were no jagged edges, he shouted loudly over the din. "Fishlegs! What's the time?"

Jack stopped his hammering and Astrid paused in her sanding as well, both glancing to the larger boy.

Fishlegs quickly checked a watch on his wrist. "7:30."

"Alright, that's still another hour and a half." Hiccup muttered, mostly to himself. He double-checked his blueprints and the list of items that had been marked as completed and smiled. "We shouldn't have any problems getting all of the pieces prepared before my dad gets back, but we might have to put off some of the fine-tuning and small-scale construction till tomorrow. Still, making pretty good time."

Astrid seemed to deflate just slightly, having entertained a vain hope of getting it all done today so that she could begin training immediately. "How soon do you think we can have it set up then?"

"Assuming we finish all the basic stuff tonight, we can do the fine-tuning, moving, and assembly at Jack's tomorrow. So probably not till Wednesday. Sorry, Astrid, I know that's cutting it close."

"Just as long as we get it done." she replied quickly, determination in her voice as she went back to sanding.

That resolve seemed mildly infectious as the crew redoubled their efforts, all working with the purpose of helping Astrid. It wasn't too much longer after that that Hiccup declared all of the preliminary work to be completed, and the garage was lined with a smorgasbord of wooden pieces in all lengths and shapes, metal sheets and tubes crafted by Hiccup, and a few odd hoops and other stray materials. However, as they were now, any ideas regarding what these pieces could be formed together to create were ambiguous, which would come in handy if Stoick decided to take a look around the garage later. There were, of course, the few smaller objects which had already been pre-constructed, but Jack would be taking those home with him.

"Alright guys, I think we're good for the night." Hiccup declared, nodding as he rolled up his plans.

Astrid seemed a bit anxious as she looked around, wringing her hands a bit. "Are you _sure_ there's nothing else we can do?"

"Astrid my dad's gonna be home in twenty minutes, so unless you want him asking questions…"

She sighed, but nodded in acknowledgment. "Alright, alright."

"Soooo… same time tomorrow?" asked Jack as he was brushing himself free of wood shavings that had accumulated on his person.

Hiccup turned to him with a sheepish nod and smiled. "Yeah. Thanks again for letting us use your place, Jack."

The answering smile was far more dazzling than it had any right being, and Hiccup was nearly disgusted with himself for how much it made him want to sigh dreamily. He'd been doing a very good job of distracting himself today with the work to be done, made all the easier by the presence of his friends and the racket they provided, but in the quiet that had settled over the garage now, it was much easier for the emotional part of his brain to register _hey Hiccup, that guy you're in love with is standing just a few feet away from you, isn't that great?_

"You guys don't need to thank me; it's what friends do, right?" Jack was saying, and if one were going strictly based on appearances, they probably would have assumed that Astrid was the one head over heels for Jack, what with the appreciative beam she sent his way.

"Hey, Hiccup, is it just me or does the cat feeder look different?" Fishlegs's voice caught the freckled boy's attention, and he tore his gaze away from Jack to look behind him, where his large friend was examining the item in question that rested in the corner of the garage.

"Oh, yeah." Hiccup affirmed as he walked over to him, pointing out the changes. "I made some tweaks to it last night, see? Made some adjustments to the…and the…" he immediately set into a small ramble, Fishlegs nodding and making 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' at seemingly appropriate times while Jack and Astrid simply watched, apparently perplexed over the technical jargon spewing from Hiccup's lips.

However, it only took a moment for Jack's memory to jog before he was breaking out into a grin again. "Wait, Hiccup." He interrupted, moving closer to his and Fishlegs's position. "That's the thing you told me about before, right? The one that didn't work?"

Hiccup's cheeks reddened as he rubbed at his neck, head bobbing side to side a couple of times. "Yyyyeeeah." he admitted. "I ended up checking back over the plans, and it turned out not to really be a lost cause…"

"So I was right then." Jack's voice oozed with self-satisfaction, and Hiccup was prepared to glare at him until he glanced up and saw a rather genuine and warm expression in the other teen's eyes. "What did I tell you? I knew you could do it." And he nodded, as if to add additional affirmation.

Hiccup suddenly found that it seemed a little difficult to toss out that retaliatory barb he had been planning.

"Well, I guess we should probably get going." Astrid announced, and Hiccup silently thanked her for saving him from the awkward silence he had trapped himself into (which simultaneously broke the extensive eye contact he had going with the white-haired youth).

"Yeah, Astrid's right, your dad'll be home pretty soon." Jack agreed as he started gathering up his things, as well as the completed course objects he'd be taking home with him.

"Right, right." Hiccup's response was almost distant as he snapped himself out of a brief daze (silently cursing himself) and helped them, Fishlegs joining in.

"Oh, Astrid," Jack piped up as they moved about. "I wanted to ask you. Can me and Mary come to the show too? I know she really wants to be there."

Astrid paused and a regretful expression crossed her features. She regarded Jack with a disappointed glance. "Sorry, Jack, I don't know if that's a great idea. I'm having Ruffnut take me down to Bogsvale, and am bringing Hiccup with me, and so she's bringing Tuffnut, unfortunately. I'm already uncomfortable enough that the two of them are gonna know about this whole thing as it is, I don't want to give her reason to invite more people along. Plus I don't think we'd be able to fit any more people in her car anyway."

Jack nodded a couple of times before he shrugged and returned with a carefree smile. "Well that shouldn't be a problem. I can just drive myself and Mary down if Ruffnut's car will be full, and I can even bring Fishlegs. No reason she has to know we're coming in advance."

Astrid blinked a couple of times before exchanging glances with Hiccup and Fishlegs (the latter of whom suddenly looked hopeful).

"…You can drive?" Hiccup asked.

Seeming to see this as an opportunity to show off, Jack's chest puffed out just slightly as a very satisfied look crossed his features. "Sure can." he replied with palpable smugness. "I've had my license for almost a year now. I just don't have a car is all. But if I ask North, I'm sure he'd be willing to let me use the car for the day."

Astrid's steady smile faltered just slightly. "…You're sure he wouldn't say anything?"

"Astrid, trust me." Dark brows were raised in a placating manner as the teen's smirk softened. "North knows better than to tell a secret that he knows is important to someone. He's already going to see the course in the back yard after we set it up, so he's going to be in the know regardless. I'll just explain how much this means to you and I can guarantee, he'll keep it under wraps. He's a good guy."

A few seconds passed in which Astrid appeared to get over her anxiety over the situation, and a large grin broke out onto her face. "Sounds great then! I was getting really bummed that Fishlegs couldn't come, and I'd love for you and Mary to be there too."

Fishlegs leaped off the ground in a small cheer, much to the amusement of the others, ecstatic that he was actually going to be able to _go_ now instead of just helping with the training. "Yes! Yes! Thankyou Thankyou Thankyou!" he cried as he picked Jack right up off the ground and squeezed him in a titanic bear hug while Hiccup and Astrid laughed at the sight.

"Gotta say, I'm kind of impressed." Hiccup stated once the boy had been set back on his feet. "Not a lot of the kids our age have licenses yet. Berk's not too big, so most people don't really _need_ to drive around."

"Well, sure is coming in handy now, isn't it?"

"You can drop the pompous airs, Jack," the brunette replied with a good-natured eyeroll. "Having a driver's license doesn't make you better than us."

"Oh I beg to differ." he challenged.

Fishlegs decided to derail the pointless argument before it could begin by cutting across the two rather blatantly. "So Astrid! Have you tried out any of those shampoos yet?" he asked.

"That's still a no, Fishlegs." Deceptively thin arms crossed over her chest somewhat irritably. "I haven't been able to figure out where I can mix the stuff together without it being conspicuous."

"Well hey," offered Jack. "As long as we're already using my house for the obstacle course, you could always make your shampoos there too."

"Really?" she responded quickly, hopefully, and was met with a laugh.

"Of course! I'm pretty much the only one who uses the bathroom across from my room, so, you can use it if you need to like, bathe your dog or something."

Astrid sighed happily, eyes brightening at more good news. "You're a saint, Jack, thank you."

"Aww, come on." he deflected half-heartedly.

"No really; a place to practice, a place to make my shampoo, even driving Fishlegs and Mary down to the show? You're really saving my ass here. I don't even know how to thank you." Astrid's expression had gone soft as she spoke.

That look of sincere warmth that Hiccup had become so familiar with at this point had appeared on Jack's again, and his hands were stuffed into his pockets. Fishlegs and Hiccup shared a smirk at the rare bashfulness that always seemed to pop out when people were genuine with him, and Hiccup found that this was perhaps the first time he had seen it without being directly involved in it. It was a really charming look to observe, and the freckled boy couldn't repress a smile.

"Yeah, well…" Jack trailed off, looking at Astrid. "Let's just get you taken care of. You can worry about thanking me later."

She hugged him then, and it wasn't long afterward that she, Jack, and Fishlegs were making their way away from Hiccup's home, heading off to Jack's to drop off their load of course pieces while Hiccup tidied up the garage in preparation for Stoick's return home.

As he worked, finally alone, he allowed himself to daydream. In his mind he wandered across the flashes of fresh memories of the day, images of Jack's gorgeous smiles and serene, earnest, beautiful expressions painting the walls of his musings. It was plainly obvious to him; he had it bad. And the prospect of spilling his feelings before the source of his affections grew no less daunting as the days passed.

"But you know," he spoke to himself, shrugging as he put away some tools. "Maybe that's fine. Maybe I don't have to tell him anything."

Because Hiccup found that he could simply be happy just by being around Jack. Sure, he loved the guy, and yes, maybe he found himself fighting back the desire to kiss him and embrace him with alarmingly regularity, but Jack made him feel wonderful with his very presence. _With or_ _without_ a romantic relationship being in the equation. And why should Hiccup try and spoil that? If he had Jack's friendship, then that is what really counted, right? There was no need to ruin things by confessing his affections, right?

"Right." he sighed to himself.

.

* * *

.

When Hiccup popped open his locker on a Wednesday afternoon, preparing to swap out textbooks and papers and generally perform 'business as usual', he wasn't expecting to find a note hanging in front of his face from the locker's interior. He also wasn't expecting the message the note purveyed:

_Don't turn around._

And least of all, he wasn't expecting warm breath to hit his ear along with a low, guttural voice that muttered "You're gonna die."

Hiccup, to put it delicately, flipped the fuck out. He jumped, flailed, spun on his heel and practically fell into his own locker between the panic and surprise of receiving such an unsettling message in the middle of the hall. He realized within the space of a second, however, that such a reaction was entirely unwarranted. Jack stood before him now, clutching his sides and looking for all the world like he was going to collapse from the tremors of laughter that coursed through him. He raised one shaky finger and pointed it accusingly at Hiccup, gasping for breath as Hiccup rewarded his antics with a dark glower.

"Oh my g- _you should see your face Hic._ I can't believe that actually got you, oh my hell," and he dissolved then back into more gasping laughter, clearly far more amused at Hiccup's reaction than the brunette felt he had any right being.

The glare remained firmly fixed upon his freckled features as he got himself properly back on his feet, irritably tearing down the hanging note and crumpling it up. "Jack, can you _not_?" he stated, silently lamenting that Jack was apparently making good on that two-week-old promise of playing pranks with his locker.

To his credit, the white-haired boy managed to bring himself mildly under control, a slightly apologetic look on his face as he took in Hiccup's cross expression. "Aww, come on, Hic, it was just a joke. You like jokes, don't you?"

He was answered with rolling eyes. "Yeah, I love receiving a threatening note followed by a creepy stalker muttering into my ear. Really livens up my day."

"_Stalker_?" Jack replied indignantly, sticking out his lip. "Hey, I am so not a stalker, come on."

"How exactly did you find my locker last week, Jack?"

"I… went looking for you?"

"You followed me until you saw which one was mine." Hiccup corrected, smirking just ever so slightly at the discomfort he was exacting on his friend. Revenge was a harsh mistress. "And how, pray tell, did you manage to figure out my locker combination? Because I'm gonna put my money on the fact that you spied on me."

"Necessary covert operations." Jack defended.

"Stalking."

"It wasn't stalking!"

Hiccup chuckled. "Sounds like stalking from where I'm standing."

"Yeah, well, aren't you just a regular killjoy?" Jack shot back, clearly pouting now in that manner of his that suggested that he, as a nearly-adult male, had absolutely no shame in being petulant.

Offering him a light tap on the shoulder, Hiccup began to walk away, heading for the cafeteria as Jack fell into step beside him.

"So," Hiccup conversed, moving on to a new topic. "Everything still alright at your place?"

This seemed to brighten Jack back up, a triumphant smile appearing on his face. "Sure is! Though North was pretty surprised to wake up this morning to see that an Obstacle Course had magically sprung up in the back yard. Took some explaining."

Hiccup laughed with his friend over that. As promised, they had finished the fine-tuning work on the previous day, and had the course ready to be assembled. But Astrid, eager to get a move on with her training, insisted that assembly be handled that night so that she could get to it straight away on the following day.

The result was a risky (and admittedly very fun) secret operation that took place well into the wee hours of the morning, after their parents had all fallen asleep. Jack had "borrowed" North's car and, dressed all in black, picked up his three friends as they made trips back and forth between Hiccup's house and his own. Each trip saw them transporting more of the course materials to Jack's back yard, making only as much noise as they dared (Hiccup really didn't want to think about how much trouble they would all get into if they woke Stoick). By roughly 4:00 a.m. the course had been fully set up and assembled in Jack's yard, which was thankfully a quiet affair due to Hiccup's brilliant innovation in outfitting the pieces with snap-together parts and joints. They would probably have woken the whole neighborhood if they had needed to hammer everything into place.

Still, successful though it may have been it had taken its toll. Hiccup and Jack had already fallen asleep in class twice today, and Anna had certainly spared no effort in giving them an earful over it.

"How much do you want to bet Fishlegs looks absolutely dead?" Hiccup asked of Jack, noting that the large blonde had already been close to nodding off the night prior. Hiccup had been too busy sleeping through his second period to check on how Fishlegs had looked in that class, though.

"Oh, that's hardly a question." Jack answered, stifling a yawn. "He'll probably be out cold. What I'm curious about is Astrid. Think she'll be dead tired, or wide awake from the adrenaline?"

Hiccup gave the matter a moment of thought. "I'm going with wide awake. She was way too eager last night."

They agreed with a laugh, and Jack shifted the conversation to the encroaching tests then, idly wondering what academic areas Hiccup was worried about passing. The answer was a self-satisfied 'None,' followed by the brunette teasing Jack on his apparent inability to do math.

.

* * *

.

Stoick "The Vast" Haddock was a man who could admit when something impressed him. And as he toured through Berk's Eclipsing Rail station, watching North shout orders at his men in Russian (which, strangely, they appeared to understand) and observed the obvious efficiency of how everything was operating, he had to admit to being impressed. He certainly wasn't going to speak ill of the dead, but Mildew had never had things running this smoothly in all his sixty years on the job.

Men and women raced in all directions, each of them bearing large boxes, small parcels, crates or other burdens, and the speed with which they sorted whatever items they held in their possession into different piles was admirable. It was matched, perhaps, only by the speed of the delivery agents, who approached these sorted piles, collected the packages, and loaded them into their mailing trucks, departing moments later.

Stoick paced over to the man in charge, his bearskin cape billowing behind him in the afternoon's winter breeze while he nodded his head appreciatively at the coordination of it all.

"_Ryadom vagon! Ryadom vagon!_" North was bellowing, and based on the way his people rushed to the next train car to open and begin unloading, Stoick assumed that he had given just that order. He noted, however, that North's face seemed to perpetually hold a jovial grin, even as he shouted, and his employees certainly didn't seem to be unhappy in the slightest. If anything, the furious pace they were being tasked at only seemed to keep them pumped up.

A man came bounding up to North with a clipboard and a pen, holding it out to the boisterous fellow. He arched a dark, bushy eyebrow as he looked it over with impressive speed, nodding and initialing quickly before shooing the man off.

"So, what you think?" North finally asked, turning to Stoick with a vaguely sly expression.

Stoick laughed heartily, hands on his hips. "You certainly know what you're doing. How has the week been treating you?"

North waved his hand carelessly as though the display of organized chaos surrounding the two men was nothing. "Ah, is been no trouble. We are all caught up on exports. There are just a few of the imports we are still playing the catch-up on."

Stoick nodded, clearly pleased at this news. Mildew had already been rather swamped with work at the time of his death – it was that busy time of the year, after all – and matters had only been made worse when Berk had been without anyone to manage the various imports and exports by train for a few days before North could get started. It was certainly wonderful news to have things getting back on track.

"Now, Stoick." North began, clapping his hands together in a businesslike fashion as he turned to fully face the mayor, red coat billowing and furry, Russian-styled hat going a bit crooked on his head. "I am sure you did not come all the way down here just to check on progress, no?"

The wild-bearded man grunted a vague response, stroking said wild beard for a moment as he considered his next action. "…I was actually hoping to talk to you about a bit of a personal matter. I thought you might have some insight about it."

Sensing the possibly important nature of this news, North nodded quickly before turning and shouting to his employees. "I am taking break! Make sure shipment to Pennsylvania is all loaded before I am back!"

Several men called out their acknowledgement and, satisfied with this, North gestured for Stoick to follow him to his office. They weaved through busy bodies, though it was hardly rather difficult when most of the milling workers gave the two intimidating men a wide berth. Stepping out of the cold and into the small, cozy main building of the station, where yet more package sorting was being performed, North made his way down the hallway, away from the clamor and into his quiet, personal workspace.

The surprises never seemed to end, Stoick noted. In addition to transforming the previously miserable atmosphere of the rail station (under Mildew's guidance) into a lively, bustling one, North had also completely overhauled the deceased old man's somber office into a bright and very _interesting _place. It held a very Christmassy atmosphere, from the sparkling lights on the walls, to the cozy fireplace, to the little toy train that moved in a big circle around the room.

North seated himself at his desk as Stoick slowly made his way in, apparently captured in a small bout of wonder at the toys and inventions that littered the walls. He glanced to the side and noticed a dish on North's desk, a rather inviting-looking confection sitting upon it.

"Fruitcake?" North offered, noticing the look and holding the dish out.

Stoick chuckled but opted to decline, taking the seat opposite North.

"Now then, Stoick, what is on your mind?"

After taking a few moments to ponder his words, Stoick eventually rested his hands on his knees and leaned forward in conversation. "May I ask what your… relationship," he settled on, not seeming to like the way the word tasted on his tongue, "with your son. What is it like?"

That question hadn't quite been expected, but North could see that something of apparent importance, based on Stoick's expression, hinged on his reply. He bridged his fingers together. "It is… good. Not perfect. But good. Why do you ask?"

Stoick heaved a heavy breath. "Hiccup… Lately, he has hardly said a word to me about anything. He's been going about business that I have no idea about, and just seems… troubled, I suppose." Stoick spoke with a sense of reluctance, appearing evidently uncomfortable to be sharing this information with someone who, at best, was a friendly acquaintance. But Gobber had suggested talking this out with someone who might actually be able to relate, and North was the only other man in town whom Stoick was marginally friendly toward who also had a son. "I know he's spending a lot of time with Jack lately. I thought you might have an idea of what he's been up to, or what's been troubling him, since he won't talk to me."

North nodded solemnly, seeing the problem. Unfortunately, he could do little to help. "I'm afraid I must disappoint you, Stoick." he replied, his accent a touch thicker with his serious tone of voice. "Busy with work as I have been, I am not always around when Hiccup is with Jack. I would not know what troubles him."

"And Jack, he… hasn't mentioned anything?"

Now it was North's turn to sigh, the same sort of reluctance on his own face as his vivid blue eyes were cast to the side. There was a touch of sadness in his tone. "My relationship with Jack is good, yes, but… not so good as I would like. He is good son, responsible, obedient. But he does not tell me the personal things."

Stoick laughed somewhat humorlessly. "Wouldn't have guessed that. Seems we're in the same boat then."

"Yes, Jack is… closed off from me, in many ways." North informed his guest, feeling perhaps something akin to camaraderie with the man, a camaraderie that encouraged him to speak further. He considered mentioning the strange obstacle course that he had woken to find this morning, but Jack had been rather vehement in his insistence that it had to be kept a secret, and that North would get a proper explanation very soon. He supposed he'd offer Jack the benefit of that doubt. "Is there particular reason you are so concerned?"

The questioning expression was met with a gruff acknowledgement. "He seems troubled lately. He and I have never really…" Stoick made a few wide gesticulations, the behavior rather reminiscent of the hand gestures his son frequently engaged in. "_Clicked_. But even so he's usually been good about letting me know when something is bothering him. But more and more lately, he just won't talk to me, and I'm worried I've done something, or he's done something. I guess I just thought you'd have an idea."

"I am sorry." North responded thoughtfully, running a hand along his chin. "But I will speak with Jack. If is important, I am sure he will tell me. The two have gotten close, no?" he added, quirking a smile and chuckling a touch.

Stoick's brow furrowed just slightly but he nodded. "Yes, I suppose they have."

"Won't be long before we are hearing wedding bells, eh?" And the statement was punctuated with a booming laugh that was oblivious to the suddenly wide-eyed look Stoick sent him.

"Wedding bells?" he parroted with evident shock, mouth hanging open.

North finally noticed his discomfited expression and frowned. "It was only joke, Stoick."

Pulling the gaping fish look off of his face seemed to take a moment of effort, and it was only a moment later that the man was standing and coughing awkwardly, muttering to himself. "Right, joke, of course…" he was saying in an uncharacteristically small voice (for Stoick rarely did anything small), trying not to think about those ridiculous (really, really ridiculous) notions he'd been getting in his head lately regarding his son and that friend of his…

"Sto-ho-ick," North spoke through a chuckle, getting to his feet as well. "You look so troubled. I hope I have not offended you."

"Offended?" Stoick asked, and it took a second or two for him to thoughtfully reply, "No. Not offended." _Just…_ He shook his head. This was treading into territory he was not comfortable discussing with the man. "Anyhow, North, I've held you up here for long enough." His voice had regained its steady, sure tone, as though nothing had been wrong. "I should probably be getting back to my office, myself."

North knew better than to press the matter, and gave him a pleasant nod. "It was good seeing you Stoick. I will let you know if I hear anything."

"Please do, thank you."

Unfortunately, as Stoick turned to leave the man's office, he wasn't paying very close attention to his feet. And it just so happened that North's toy train was right near his boot as he took a step, accidentally sending it flying off the track with an unintended kick.

"Ah!" North cried out in a strangely high pitch that was at odds with his normally deep rumble. The train clattered against the door to his office, and Stoick looked back and forth between it and the distraught man.

"Oh! Ah, I'm sorry about that, let me just…"

He made to go and pick the thing up, but at that moment the door to North's office was flung wide open by a tall, stocky man with an impressively long, bushy moustache. The door slammed into the toy train and crushed it with a resounding _crunch_.

"Ah!" North cried again, hands flying to his mouth.

The mustached man brought one of his own hands to his mouth in response, a cry of "Oooh!" escaping his lips.

Stoick looked on, cheeks puffed out slightly and unsure of what to do.

"Phil…" North spoke slowly to his employee as one hand gently massaged his temple. "How many times have I told you _TO KNOCK?_"

The man coughed and grunted in a vaguely apologetic fashion.

"Ah, yes, well…" Stoick spoke up again. "I'll just be going then."

North collapsed back into his seat and waved half-heartedly at the mayor's retreating back, glaring up at Phil once he was gone. "I certainly hope you have good reason for barging in."

Phil cleared his throat and approached the desk, handing a rather personalized envelope to North and quickly ducking out of the room.

North watched him go with a disapproving glance before shaking his head and looking down. All that for just a letter? Honestly, Phil… However, his features lit up when he noted the sender's name.

"Well, isn't _this_ a surprise."

.

* * *

.

"So what's taking Astrid?" asked Jack curiously, standing nearly shoulder to shoulder to shoulder with Hiccup and Fishlegs in his back yard. The completed obstacle course stretched out before them on the chilled, but thankfully thawed, grass. Though the sky had seemed to threaten a heavy snowfall over the past few days, it had yet to make good on these threats and Berk's grasses were being allowed to peek out of hiding for a time. Mary was taking advantage of this, running around on the course as though it were a play thing and chasing Toothless while laughing loudly.

"Not sure…" was Hiccup's response. It was a little curious. The four of them had met up after school, Astrid incredibly eager to get started on the training and excusing herself to go and fetch Stormfly. But even after the remaining three friends had stopped at Hiccup's house to pick up Toothless and then made their way to Jack's, there was still no sign of Astrid.

"Do you think she could have gotten caught up at home?" Fishlegs asked, seeming worried.

"That's always a possibility."

"Well," interjected the white-head of the trio. "Even if she's running a little late I wouldn't be too worried. North's working late again tonight, so we've got plenty of time to do this." The teen was watching his sister with an amused grin, seeming to enjoy her antics with Toothless. The cat would dart around quickly, leaving Mary behind, only to then slow down when she began to trail too heavily and assume a playful pose. As the girl neared again he would take off and fly past her, and she would only laugh louder.

This continued for a time, the three friends making light conversation while they awaited the arrival of Astrid. Just as Hiccup was getting ready to make another remark regarding her absence, the girl appeared as if on cue, calling out as she came jogging around the corner of Jack's home. She was trailed by a large, beautiful Rough Collie that stayed only slightly behind her as it slowed to a brisk trot and sat.

Jack was immediately attentive with a bright smile on his face. "Whoa, is that Stormfly?" he asked as he sauntered up and crouched onto his haunches about a foot in front of the lightly panting dog.

Astrid's would-be answer was interrupted by the shrill, jubilant cry of a little girl who had just seen a creature she clearly deemed as beyond adorable. "Puppy!" Mary shouted as she came bounding over, stopping at her brother's side. Her eyes were large and bright as she turned her gaze to Astrid. "Can I…?"

Astrid seemed to know what the question was without further elaboration and simply returned the little girl's grin. "Of course you can! She's very friendly."

The Overland siblings took this as their cue to pet and scratch and rub Stormfly all over, lavishing the canine with affectionate coos as they did so and getting licks to the faces in response.

Hiccup was smiling softly at the scene until he felt the head of his cat butting against his right leg. He glanced down and chuckled as Toothless meowed up at him, looking somewhat put off at having lost Mary's attention so easily.

"That's okay, Toothless, you're still number one to me." Hiccup assured as he picked the cat up.

"So, Astrid." Jack was saying. He had gotten back to his feet and pulled the playfully reluctant Mary away with him, leaving Stormfly alone. "What all are you gonna have to do for the show that you need to practice for?"

Astrid surveyed the course with an excited expression, seeing it in the light for the first time. "Well there's Obedience, Grooming, and of course, the Obstacle Course. I'm not too worried about obedience; we've got that down no problem. So I think we'll just move right into running the course."

"Weeell, actually," Fishlegs spoke up, raising a hand. "I know you're eager Astrid, but remember, you're gonna be performing in front of an audience, and there's probably going to be a lot of noise. I know that we're just four people, but I still think you should probably run through your obedience routine in front of us, so Stormfly gets used to performing in front of people."

Hiccup nodded, seeing the point as he released Toothless (who promptly went to bump noses with Stormfly in greeting). "I'm with Fishlegs. You've gotta make sure Stormfly can stay focused. We can make lots of noise over here while you have her do her routine."

"Huh… you've got a point. Alright! Let's show them what we can do, girl." Astrid spoke to her dog, and a moment later, she had moved a slight distance away, nearer to the course, while Hiccup, Fishlegs, and the Overlands hung back and started clapping and cheering loudly.

She started by running through the basic commands, such as 'sit', 'stay', 'lie down', and 'roll over'. Following was a series of more impressive commands, such as having Stormfly follow Astrid as she walked in a large circle, keeping exact step with her, or having the canine 'shake hands' with the paw that Astrid specified (indicating that Stormfly had been taught the difference from left and right). More impressive still was when Astrid told Stormfly to 'speak' a specified number of times, a number Stormfly matched without fail no matter how randomly it seemed that Astrid stated the numbers. This elicited genuine cheers of excitement and applause from the four onlookers. Even Hiccup was thoroughly impressed, having realized he was unaware of just how well-trained Stormfly was until now.

"And now, for our final trick," Astrid announced somewhat theatrically, having fun showing off to her friends. She stepped over to the course and picked up one of the several hoops Hiccup had crafted on Monday, a smaller specimen which she set on the ground. She stepped back over to Stormfly. "Alright, girl. Tail flip!"

Stormfly stood from her seated position and trotted smartly over to the little hoop. Turning her backside to it, the dog looked over her shoulder and prodded at the ground with her tail several times, nudging the hoop around until she finally managed to snag it on the tip of the furry appendage. Carrying the hoop on her tail's tip, she headed back over to Astrid's location and then finally flicked her tail up. The ring was flung up into the air, caught in Astrid's palm.

"Ta da!" she announced with a small laugh.

A new wave of cheers erupted and Fishlegs actually ran forward now, confident that the performance was over, and kneeled to pet Stormfly excitedly. "Wow! How did you teach her that, Astrid, I've never seen a dog do something like that!"

Astrid shrugged and smiled while Stormfly enjoyed the affection she was being treated to. "She's a smart dog and I'm persistent. That said, it wasn't really easy. Took a while for her to figure out what I was trying to have her do." As she spoke, she produced a small plastic bag from her back pocket that was packed with bacon strips. She pulled more than a few out and offered them to her furry companion, who ate them up with relish.

"It was pretty impressive, Astrid!" Hiccup commented as he too stepped forward. "She kept her attention on you no matter how much racket we made. I'm pretty sure any judge would be impressed by those last few tricks, too."

"It was wonderful!" Mary chimed in, beaming with pride at her idol and the dog, while Jack nodded his agreement with a wide smile.

"So shall we move on to the obstacles then? I really want to see this stuff in action now!"

A pair of slender hands ran through flaxen blonde strands, a show of mild anxiety. The girl took a few breaths. "How much time do we have? We're getting such a late start already – dad was asking where I've been going all week and I had to talk my way out of that one…"

"Relax Astrid, you've got plenty of time today." Jack replied. "North won't be home till late. You guys will be gone by the time I need to give him a proper explanation about why this is all here, haha."

"And then we've still got tomorrow and Friday." Fishlegs supplied helpfully.

Astrid nodded as she gave the course a look over once again, making sure everything was set up the way the show's web page indicated. It didn't prove difficult, as she had somewhat obsessively committed the design to memory.

"Alright. Guess it's time to start this." She spoke mostly to herself, as if pumping herself up. "It's just practice, it doesn't have to be perfect."

She called Stormfly away from the game of tag Toothless had started with her (once again leaving Toothless a tad put off) and the dog took her position at the starting point with Astrid. The girl gave a quick signal and then took off at a jog beside the course. Stormfly followed after her while holding to the course's path, following Astrid's hand signals as she ran up the starting ramp and jogged along the narrow strips. It looked for a moment like she might get lazy and hop down to walk on the ground beside Astrid, but the canine seemed to take the cues that her human urged her with and stayed put. The hoops proved no difficulty to the rather graceful Collie, stepping through them with no snags, though her pace seemed a bit unsure and slowed.

Hiccup had to admit, for a first run through the course he was pretty impressed with Stormfly's progression. The pace was somewhat slow, but she was also still getting used to this odd task that was being requested of her. She expressed no difficulty whatsoever on the hurdles, however, speeding up as Astrid ran beside her and taking each jump with a clearly practiced ease. The brunette assumed that getting Stormfly to jump over things was probably something that Astrid _had_ been able to practice before.

"Whooo! Yeah Astrid!" Jack hooted and, taking his cue, the others soon joined him in cheers and claps, once again simulating a crowd experience (though clearly also expressing some enthusiasm).

The next portion was the tunnel which, due to limited resources, was rather makeshift compared to the rest of the replica. There was no plastic tubing lining the various hoops that Hiccup had strung along as a tunnel, and as a means of compensation they had hung several sheets along the suspended arches. Hiccup hoped that Stormfly would get the idea well enough.

There did indeed prove to be a brief hitch here, as Stormfly seemed more inclined to follow Astrid around the tunnel rather than moving through the strange hooped area. Astrid had to double back a couple of times before Stormfly got the idea to go inside, and she ran to the other end of the tunnel and called for the dog to make sure that she knew to follow it. After that incident, however, the remainder proceeded rather smoothly.

"Alright, not bad for your first run." Fishlegs observed, before quickly rattling off the various problem areas that needed clear improvement. "But I figure that if you guys just keep running the course a few more times, she'll just keep getting better and better! She already did a lot better than I was expecting for the first try!"

Astrid's determined countenance only flared up more with Fishlegs's critique, and at this point Stormfly seemed to understand there was some kind of importance tied to her actions. The canine was standing at full attention near her human, waiting for further instruction. Hiccup added his two cents to the matter, reminding Astrid that if Stormfly could master the ramshackle tunnel they had set up here then she'd have no trouble with the one in the official course.

A good couple hours of practice seemed to fly by as Stormfly's progress made leaps and bounds along the course. It didn't take too many attempts before she had started being able to practically run, rather than walk, along the expanse, and by the fifth attempt there was no longer any hesitation in her sprint through the tunnel, nor any snags on the other hoops or hurdles.

"Astrid, you're really tearing it up out there!" Jack commended to the panting girl, who was beginning to tire after so much running alongside her dog. Said dog was lying down and panting as well, having indulged in some more bacon and water as a reward for her hard work.

"There's still plenty to be corrected," Hiccup added, just to keep the girl grounded. "And your time could always improve, but you guys really are doing amazing all things considered."

Taking note of the sun's lowering position in the sky, Jack began to ponder for a moment while Fishlegs worried over the sheets on the tunnel, which had started to come loose. "So, did you still want to mix up the shampoo?" he asked. "Because you guys seem pretty beat, now might be a good time to take a breather."

Astrid thought the matter over, but it didn't take her long to arrive at a decision. A familiar eagerness lit up her eyes at the thought of finally being able to put her concoction to work. "Yeah, that sounds good."

.

* * *

.

Actually accomplishing the task proved to be a rather crowded affair given that it seemed as though everyone was intent on being in the bathroom at once. Jack had led the group upstairs and offered up his bathtub for Astrid's use, and she quickly took her spot leaning over the rim, producing several paper bags of powders, herbs, and liquid extracts from a knapsack.

"Are those the ingredients?" Jack had asked as she pulled out the assortment, to which she had confirmed with a brief anecdote of the online shopping she had had to go through to obtain them.

Of course this drew Fishlegs's interest, so he insisted upon being in the bathroom to observe the process of home-made shampoo. Mary had also begged Astrid to allow her to help, and, well, Astrid couldn't possibly say no to her. The problem, of course, was that Jack's bathroom was not exactly very large, and with Astrid and Mary crouched over the tub, filling it with a bit of water, and Fishlegs occupying a sizable chunk of space standing near the sink, there wasn't much space left for Hiccup or Jack to occupy. Not without one of them standing on the toilet, at least.

In light of these circumstances, Hiccup opted to wait out in the hall while Astrid worked, sitting against the wall next to the bathroom door and calling in remarks good-naturedly at the slightly chaotic sounds inside (mostly as a result of Fishlegs's constant questions).

"Don't feeling like watching the progress?" Jack asked from above him, and Hiccup glanced up from his brief spaceout session to see the tall boy leaning in the bathroom's doorframe, smiling down at him. His voice was a touch lower than the echoing voices of his friends.

Hiccup smirked. "Nah, they seem to have everything under control in there."

Jack chuckled and sidled up to the brunette, sliding down the wall to seat himself beside him. "Yeah, I was pretty much just watching in the background, anyway." Sitting barely centimeters apart, Jack performed his usual friendly shoulder nudge, resting his wrists against his knees.

Hiccup smirked and actually returned the gesture, earning a mirroring expression in response.

"Are you following the recipe exactly?" Fishlegs was asking Astrid from inside the bathroom, curiosity lacing the inquiry.

"Actually, no. I wanted to give it a bit of an original spin," Astrid responded. "So I read up on a few things and made some personal adjustments."

"Oh! So that's why you wanted to borrow my botany book, isn't it?"

Hiccup laughed to himself at the exchange and called into the bathroom. "Wow, Astrid. Making suspicious brews in a guy's bathtub using tips you got from an old book? You're right on your way to becoming a full-fledged witch."

"Witches don't punch their adversaries in the face!" she sang back, too sweetly. Mary giggled.

"What about Amazonian witches?" Jack chimed in.

"If you're calling me an Amazonian, Jack, I'm actually gonna take that as more of a compliment than anything else."

A few more laughs filled the small space before the conversations became bifurcated once more, Astrid's attention brought back to Mary and Fishlegs, who were further questioning the process of mixing the soap together. Hiccup returned his attention to Jack.

"So, you mentioned on Sunday that you had a model?"

Jack blinked a couple of times before dropping his head forward onto his knees, hiding his apparent embarrassment as he laughed. "Ah, yeah. I happened to be in the plaza area on Friday, you know, and kinda felt like stopping into the art shop. The thing looked cool."

"Right, right." Hiccup's voice held a touch of smug assurance, and he elected to try and ignore the flighty thumps of his heart as he made his insinuations. "I'm sure it has nothing to do with you just looking for an excuse to waste my time, right?"

The white-haired teen reared up and put on a comically affronted expression, one hand flying to his chest as though he were a lady scandalized. "Well, Mr. Haddock, I don't believe I approve of your allegations. A proper young belle of my caliber would never stoop to such lows."

"No, of course not. Except that you're clearly naught but a wanton mistress of the night."

"Well isn't that just _brazen_." Jack shot back, bringing his face maybe just a little closer than necessary as he hissed that last word, before pulling back to laugh throatily to himself.

Hiccup joined in the laughter, though the brief facial proximity had stirred a rather _interesting_ feeling in his gut that he was trying not to think too heavily about.

"Having fun out here?" the sure, teasing voice of Astrid called his attention away from firing a retort at Jack. She and Mary were stepping back out into the hall, followed by Fishlegs, and Hiccup was rather sure he didn't quite care for the smirk she was aiming at them.

Jack seemed oblivious to it though as he simply grinned up. "Yep! You guys done in there?"

"Eh, not totally." Astrid answered, dropping any traces of suggestion. "I've got to let it sit for a while. Mary's hungry, anyway."

"Oh is that right?" Jack stood from his seat, picking up his sister off the ground without warning and clutching her close as she squeaked in surprise. "And what do you want to eat, kiddo?"

"I dunnoooo." she drawled, hugging her brother.

"I could always cook something." Hiccup offered as the group started making their way down the hall toward the stairs. "I'm sure that whatever you've got, I'll be able to whip us up something decent."

"Nah, you guys are my guests." Jack refused. "I should be the one cooking. Besides, I can manage better than just _decent_."

Hiccup rolled his eyes as he lightly gripped the banister. "Is that supposed to be some kind of challenge, Jack?"

"Oh boy…" Astrid muttered.

"That depends, Hic, do you want it to be?"

They had moved into the kitchen by now, Jack setting Mary down and crossing his arms confidently. Hiccup's sardonic glance seemed to be a mixture of 'I can't believe you're doing this' and 'you're so on'. It was Mary who seemed to make the decision, however.

"Why don't you both cook?" she asked sweetly. "Then we can decide whose cooking is better."

Needless to say, this resulted in declarations of challenge from both stubborn parties and immediate agreement to having a miniature cook-off. Astrid had simply groaned and gone outside to check on the animals, while Fishlegs seated himself with Mary, the young girl babbling all the while over how excited she was and how this would be just like having another dinner party.

As the hour passed, the kitchen was eventually filled with a variety of tantalizing aromas, Hiccup having found some hamburger patties to grill up (trying to recall everything Stoick had taught him about the proper way to cook a burger) while Jack had retorted by whipping up a pasta he claimed would be to die for. The herbs he was using were particularly tantalizing.

"Careful Hic, your patties smell like they're starting to burn." Jack warned playfully.

"Right, yeah, Jack the only smoke you're smelling right now is from how badly I'm leaving you in my dust."

"Oooh, nice comeback, smart guy."

"Just go back to that garlic mess you call noodles, _snowflake_, they smell like they haven't been completely drowned in the stuff just yet."

"Pft, you want to talk about drowning, Hiccup?" Jack jabbed Hiccup in the lower back with a finger, smirking when he made the boy jump. "Those burgers of yours look like they're swimming in grease. Are you serving up dried out husks?"

"Oh, definitely," Hiccup smirked at the taller boy and nudged his elbow lightly into his gut. "Just about as dried out as that excuse for pasta is going to be if you don't get on top of it. It looks like all the water has long since disappeared…"

Jack dashed back to his simmering pasta in a brief panic before realizing that Hiccup had obviously just been yanking his chain. A small laugh, just under his breath. "Keep your eyes on your own meal, Hiccup, I've got mine handled. Though, I guess I can't blame you for constantly looking this way."

Hiccup knew what he was about to walk right into, but he took the bait all the same as he flipped a few patties. "And why might that be?"

"Oh come on, isn't it _obvious_? I mean, hey," Jack announced with a larger-than-life bravado, gesturing vaguely at himself. "Who could take their eyes off all of this?"

_He's really quite right._ That thought was very pointedly ignored by the brunette. "You're right, you're right, I really can't take my eyes away. I mean, it's kind of like watching a train wreck. You know it's horrifying but you just have to stare."

By now, Astrid had long since returned from checking up on Toothless and Stormfly, but the two chefs seemed completely oblivious to her presence, or Mary's or Fishlegs's for that matter. The three of them had simply been sitting quietly at the kitchen table, watching the two boys bicker with each other and insult each other's culinary prowess when, by the scent of it, they had both actually managed to create something wonderful.

Astrid kept exchanging glances with Mary, the two girls laughing to themselves (Mary a bit more obviously as she kicked her legs delightedly). Fishlegs, meanwhile, had been very silently making… observations. He watched the quips they lobbed back and forth, but he noticed how the smiles never left their faces. The pokes and prods and frankly unnecessary touches from Jack, gestures that were usually returned by Hiccup. The brunette even brought truth to Jack's claims by looking over at the paler teen frequently, and for seemingly no reason. It all seemed very… what was the word?

The large blonde nodded to himself silently, as though arriving at some sort of conclusion, but continued to hold his silence as Jack and Hiccup were finally making their way toward the table, each bearing a serving dish with the food they had prepared.

"Here we are, ladies and gentleman, Jackson Overland's Five Star, Secret Spice Pasta, and Hiccup's poor excuse for meat." And the impish youth smirked at Hiccup's expense. He was rewarded with a glower and another sharp jab in the gut.

.

* * *

.

As it turned out, both boys' fathers had clearly taught them well, and Mary made the rather adamant declaration that there could be no winner in the cook-off. Jack seemed like he had wanted to argue the point, but after sinking his teeth into Hiccup's hamburger patties and getting a taste of his expert choice in seasoning, he raised no further objections. Hiccup seemed to be in equal reception to the pasta.

"Mary, could you hand me those bottles?" Astrid asked of the young girl as she crouched once again over the rim of the bathtub, surveying the pink, fluffy results of her efforts.

The group had migrated back to the bathroom once dinner had been devoured (for there really was no better word to describe how quickly they cleaned their plates), and Astrid was pleased to see that the shampoo had apparently set in their time away.

Mary responded eagerly to Astrid's request and brought forth the two empty, plastic bottles that were stowed in Astrid's knapsack. Astrid opened one of them and overturned the item, shaking it a few times until some nearly transparent sheets of paper tumbled out.

"What's that?" Mary asked, watching the older girl tear off one of the little strips of paper.

"These are PH slips, Mary." Astrid explained kindly. "You'll learn more about them in High School, probably. They measure things like acidity in a liquid. I have to make sure the shampoo won't hurt Stormfly, see?" And Astrid then dipped the slip into the shampoo quickly, pulling it out and watching the edge of the paper carefully.

Mary didn't fully understand how it worked, but she clearly recognized the importance of it. And so she trained her eyes on it as well, not knowing what she was watching for but feeling as though she was somehow helping.

"You seem really prepared, Astrid." Fishlegs observed with a smile, also watching the slip for changes. "I'm really impressed with you."

Astrid responded with an airy laugh, breathing a sigh of relief when the color on the PH slip seemed to finally settle. Well, it wasn't hazardous. "This color is good, Mary." said she, showing it to the young brunette. "This is what we were going for. But _just_ to make sure."

The blonde then fished out a small amount of the substance on a couple of fingers and spread it over her forearm. She held her arm out and waited for several moments, Mary watching with interest.

"…What are you doing, Astrid?" she finally asked.

"I'm making sure it doesn't burn my skin, just to be sure it'll be okay for Stormfly. Seems alright to me!"

Having apparently cleared both tests, Astrid began the task of gathering the home-made shampoo into the bottles Mary had brought her, scooping it up first in a large bowl before pouring it via funnel into the plastic containers. What remnants that couldn't be scooped up by the bowl were instead rinsed down the tub's drain, a sudsy exodus of pink, fruity fragrances.

"So, why don't we try it on Stormfly right now?" Jack suggested from the doorway.

"Right now? Are you sure?" The girl had just finished capping the second bottle when he had spoken. "Isn't it a bit late?"

"Not _too_ late. Besides, I told you North would be out for a while, so it's no trouble. And if it's ready now, why wait? The competition is right around the corner."

He had a point.

"Well, alright, if you say so."

Hiccup joined the girl, and the two ran downstairs to the back yard to fetch Stormfly, inviting her into the house and guiding her up the stairs. Surprisingly, Hiccup had actually managed to coax Toothless into the house as well, a rare move for the Burmese. Hiccup suspected it might have been something akin to boredom on Toothless's part that convinced him.

Apparently used to being bathed regularly, Stormfly hopped into the bathtub without any fuss while Astrid turned on the tap, filling the tub with warm water. She shed her socks and rolled up her pant legs, stepping into the bathtub with the dog so as to have a better time of bathing her.

"Could one of you guys start scrubbing at her sides?" she asked, already pouring a dollop of her new shampoo into her palm and coating Stormfly's furry chest in it. The dog appeared to be relaxing in the heat and the chest rub, tongue lolling out.

"Sure, I'll help." Hiccup agreed, stepping toward the tub and following Astrid's example in rolling up his sleeves. Jack wordlessly followed him with a playful expression, cramming himself next to Hiccup as he joined the two friends in bathing Stormfly's thick coat.

Fishlegs stood behind the two, nearer to the door, watching eagerly while Mary now stood atop the toilet, craning her neck to see Stormfly and giggling at the dog's expressions. Toothless sat perched on the sink, watching the soapy water with interest.

"Look at _you_," Astrid cooed to her dog, grinning as she lathered the soap on thick. "Look at you being such a good girl!"

Jack held in his snickers. This, as far as he was concerned, was slightly unusual behavior for Astrid, but he supposed animals could bring out another side of someone. He wasn't daring to get any of the shampoo on his hands, though – there were certain mishaps that could occur if he did, especially with this stuff being such a generously _bright_ color… No, he'd stick to simply dipping a cup into the water to then pour over the dog, thank you.

"She's being pretty still." Hiccup complimented. "The last time I helped you give her a bath she was thrashing everywhere."

"Ah, well, I've sort of been working on that, haha." Astrid was running her fingers through some of the washed strands of wet fur, checking to make sure there weren't any problems thus far.

"What, like, teaching her 'stay' while in the tub?" The brunette joked as he took Jack's water cup and rinsed off the soap on the dog's side.

"Something like that." The blonde cupped her hands and lifted a small bit of water above Stormfly's face. "Close your eyes girl, come on, come o- Stormfly, hold still, I just need to rinse your-"

But as soon as the water in Astrid's hands started dripping onto the panting animal's face, a playful streak seemed to take over and she began to move her head around quickly, lifting paws and splashing her tail around.

"Oh no, no, _Stormfly_," Astrid dropped the water and attempted to steady the canine's thrashings, but Stormfly had been splashed by the act and seemed to think the game was continuing, rearing up on her hind quarters (much to the boys' surprise) and landing again, making a large splash that tipped over the sides of the tub and onto Hiccup and Jack's knees.

Astrid stumbled back from the motion, leaning against the wall for support before her eyes widened in horror.

"Stormfly, _no._"

But it was too late. Jack and Hiccup couldn't jump back quickly enough in the crowded space. Stormfly propped her front paws on the rim of the tub and began to _shake_. Long strands of wet fur flew back and forth, and water and pink, foamy soap was thrown _everywhere_.

"Ahhh, no, stop!"

"Wha-Aaaahgghh!"

Mary shrieked, Fishlegs covered his face, and Toothless went flying out of the bathroom without wasting another second. And then Stormfly, thinking this was a big game and that Toothless was inviting a chase, leaped from the tub (splashing yet more water and suds) and took off down the hall. Astrid hopped out after her but promptly lost her footing on the slippery tiles.

"Ah!" Hiccup shouted. "Watch out!" He managed to stand and catch her quickly enough to steady her before falling, but so focused was she on pursuing Stormfly that she removed herself from his grasp immediately and tore out of the bathroom after the animal. This had the unfortunate consequence of putting Hiccup in the same position she had just been in, and he was flailing his arms and slipping before he could tell what was happening.

"Stormfly come back!" he could hear Mary shouting, noticing mid fall that she and Fishlegs had already fled the restroom, and having a brief moment of terror that no one would catch _his_ fall, until Jack came into view below him.

The boys crashed into one another on the sopping wet floor amidst a chorus of shouts and groans, but Hiccup was simply grateful to not have cracked his head on the linoleum. Almost as soon as the fall had stopped, though, he was being pushed away by strangely frantic hands.

"Hic, come on, get off! I need to rinse my hair! It's gonna stain!"

Hiccup was a little confused, but didn't have time to think about it when he was pushed onto the tile and off of the warm body, water seeping into his shirt. By the time the freckled boy had irritably managed to get to his feet, clothing damp all over, he was greeted by the sight of a flustered-looking Jack with his head dipped into the bathroom sink, running water through his bangs.

"You mind telling me what exactly you're doing?" Hiccup asked, eyebrow raised.

"Stormfly got some of that shampoo in my hair!"

"Oh, _well_, pardon me then. Let me go call the SWAT team, we apparently have a national crisis on our hands."

"Hiccup." Jack spoke evenly, lifting his head and checking the mirror with a somewhat relieved sigh. "My hair is dyed _white_. Not exactly easy to maintain. And it's really easy to stain. I wasn't too keen on walking around with pink hair."

Oh. Well. Hiccup found himself smirking and laughing in spite of the situation. "I dunno. I might pay to see that."

Jack leveled him with an unamused expression and grabbed a towel off of a nearby rack, quickly drying his dripping bangs. "So. All of that just happened."

"Yeah, sure did." Hiccup agreed, listening for a moment to the shouts echoing through the house. "Sounds like the chase is still going on. I swear, all of that happened so fast I couldn't even…"

Jack sighed. "Sorry about shoving you off. Just kinda freaked out for a quick second with the whole hair thing."

"Such a sensitive little beauty queen." Hiccup chuckled at the other's expression. "Yeah, well, sorry about tripping and falling on you. Wouldn't have happened at all if it weren't for this dumb thing…" he muttered, shaking his left foot about (clad in a now dripping wet sock).

Jack glanced meaningfully down at the limb in question and furrowed his brow a bit. His lips pursed. "You know, Fishlegs seemed to make a sort of mention about that last week. I'm not sure I understand, though. Is there something wrong with your leg?"

Hiccup belatedly realized that he had once again mentioned something that he hadn't told Jack a thing about, and all at once was a bit nervous about the idea. But, he supposed, it wouldn't do any good to just continually keep it under wraps.

"Right, uh…" he shrugged, resting his weight against the wall across from where Jack now leaned on the bathroom counter. "Well, I told you before… about my mother, you know."

"Yeah." Jack nodded quickly, not wanting Hiccup to have to dwell on it.

"Well… a few days after it, you know, happened. I went outside on my own. And, well, long story short, the snowstorm got really bad and I got really cold, limbs kind of went numb. I found Toothless out there, that day. But by the time _I_ was found, I was apparently lucky to be alive."

"…Really?" Jack's voice was small, and as Hiccup met his eyes he could see that there was a legitimately concerned expression on his face.

"Yep." Hiccup tried to play it off casually. "Ehh, you know, kind of happens when you lose your way in a snowstorm. So, I came to in a hospital, and was told I'd be alright after a while. But this leg, here," he went on, tapping at his left knee with one finger. "From the knee down. It had gotten so numb by the time they could save me that there was no way to save the damaged nerves. So, I kind of can't feel anything there."

"Whoa, are you serious?" Jack asked, surprised now as he stared at the boy's leg. "Nothing?"

"Nothing. If my body had been any bigger at the time, I probably would have outright lost it to frostbite. It's kind of made walking a pain. Always feels like there's a light pressure under my knee but otherwise nothing, like I'm walking on air."

"Oh my- wow. Dude, Hiccup, I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault." Hiccup gave him a reassuring smile, tapping his foot against the ground absently. "Besides, it was tough for me at first but I'm used to it now. Not really a problem. I just have to, you know, be a little cautious with things like stairs, or stray rocks, roots, stuff like that. Just kinda have to make sure and watch where I'm going because,"

"Because you won't feel it if you trip on something till it's too late." Jack finished the sentence for him, still looking a tad forlorn. "Yeah. That… makes sense. I'd been wondering about it for a while, so…"

"Right, sorry about not telling you sooner."

"Hey! It's not like you were obligated to." Jack replied, raising his hands and releasing a few timid chuckles. "You know me, I'm just nosy."

Hiccup smirked at him. "That's a bit of an understatement. Can't keep anything hidden around you, can I?"

"Nooooope!"

The two shared in another laugh and more smiles in the smallish, shared space, and for once Hiccup let himself relish in the warm feeling that flooded his chest rather than trying to avoid it.

The laughter slowly ebbed away as Jack fidgeted in place, a soft smile on his face as he caught Hiccup's eyes. "…Hey, so…"

"…Yeah?"

The white-haired boy opened and closed his mouth a couple times before quirking up his lips, seemingly perplexed at himself for whatever reason. When he was prepared to speak again, however, he was cut off by the sudden return of Astrid, Mary, and Stormfly.

"Ugh, oh my god Jack, I'm _so sorry_," Astrid was apologizing profusely, seeming not to take any note of the interrupted atmosphere or Hiccup's disappointed expression. She was holding Stormfly by a tuft of fur on her neck, and Mary was close behind the dog to 'make sure she doesn't run off again!'

"We finally caught her." Mary announced, as though that fact weren't obvious right now. "She made a mess though…"

"Fishlegs is wiping up all the water and soap." Astrid explained, glaring down at her companion. Stormfly seemed to understand that she had done wrong by this point, and her head was dipped apologetically. "Anyway, I need to finish getting _this_ one cleaned off."

"Right, uh," Jack nodded back, ruffling Mary's hair a bit. "I'll go help Fish, I think."

Hiccup sighed as Jack left and, after a few moments, followed him out.

.

* * *

.

Much to the brunette's disappointment, Jack had not revisited whatever it was he was about to say in the bathroom after they left, and had been busying himself with helping Fishlegs clean up the house. Astrid and Mary had succeeded in finishing with Stormfly's bathing and blow-drying, and the good news was that Astrid seemed to be very pleased with how glossy the Collie's coat had become once she dried. Hiccup searched all over the house for Toothless, meanwhile, eventually finding him hiding in the game room.

"You know you probably weren't helping, bud." he said with a chuckle, cradling the cat against his chest. "Running off like that just made Stormfly want to play."

"Oh, Hiccup, there you are."

He turned around to see Astrid and the previously mentioned canine heading into the game room, looking a bit sheepish. "Sorry about all that mess earlier. I just wanted to let you know that I should be getting a move on, so me and Stormfly are heading out."

"Oh, alright." Hiccup nodded, looking with approval at Stormfly's new gloss. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Of course." she practically sang back, grinning brightly. "And hey, I just want to thank you again. I know Jack's the one offering up his place, but I mean, you had the idea, and you did most of the hard work for building the course and all. It means a lot Hiccup, you have no idea."

"You're welcome, milady." he replied warmly, and Toothless offered up a loud meow for good measure. "Just make sure that you _do_ thank Jack."

"Oh, I already did, don't worry. Anyway, we're gonna get going." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder before turning to leave, heading for the front door. Hiccup followed her into the living room just in time to catch Mary and Jack shouting their goodbyes to the girl as she waved and made her exit.

The two siblings had taken up the job of cleaning, though it seemed that only the living room still needed any wiping down. Hiccup glanced around curiously.

"Where did Fishlegs go?"

"Oh," answered Jack, running a towel along the coffee table. That dog had gotten water everywhere… "He's waiting outside right now for his mom to come pick him up. I told him I'd just handle this while he waited."

"Oh, well, mind if I go out to wait with him then? Keep him company, you know."

Jack simply smiled back. "'Course not! We'll be here." he assured.

"Yeah, we gotta finish this anyway." Mary added, with her own damp-looking towel in hand.

With no further questioning seeming necessary, Hiccup made for the outdoors, dropping Toothless to the ground once they had exited. The cat seemed much more comfortable now that he was back outside. The boy could see Fishlegs up ahead, standing on the sidewalk near Jack's driveway.

"Hey, Fishlegs." he called.

"Oh!" Fishlegs snapped his attention around, smiling. "Hey Hiccup."

"Thought I'd see you off." the smaller boy explained as he stepped up beside his friend. "How long ago did you call your mom?"

"Oh, maybe five minutes or so. It shouldn't be too much longer till she's here. I asked her if it was okay to pick me up here tomorrow and Friday, too."

"Right, right, we're definitely going to be coming back so Astrid can get more practice."

There came a strange silence. Strange in that any situation where Fishlegs was involved, especially with Hiccup, tended to be anything _but_ silent. Hiccup found it uncomfortable, maybe even a bit worrisome. He took a careful look over at Fishlegs to see him twiddling his fingers a bit, apparently deep in thought.

"Hey Hiccup?" he asked suddenly before Hiccup could question his behavior.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have a crush on Jack?"

"I-wha!?" Hiccup stammered, staring wildly at the larger boy, who simply stared back earnestly. "Uh, I, Fishlegs, I don't, ah. What are you– "

"You know, you can tell me, Hiccup." Fishlegs cut in, expression downcast. "I wouldn't judge you if you were that way. And I mean, if you are, I'm kind of disappointed that you never told me before now…"

There came another silence, this one more tense.

"…Fishlegs…" Hiccup fought back to rather automatic fear response, the worry of having a close friend think he was weird. Fishlegs had just assured him of the contrary, after all, and in hindsight Hiccup felt that he should have known better than to have ever worried about this sort of thing with Fishlegs. He breathed out, slowly. "…Yeah, Fishlegs. I am. You know. 'That way', as you put it."

"Oh, I didn't offend you by saying that, did I?" Fishlegs asked, suddenly panicked, but Hiccup merely raised his hands disarmingly.

"I'm fine, Fish, don't worry." He gave the blonde a wry smile. "And… sorry, for not telling you sooner. I don't think I need to really explain my… concerns."

"No, I understand." Fishlegs nodded, prodding his fingers together again. "But I mean… come on, Hiccup, you should have known I wouldn't care about something like _that_."

The brunette chuckled dryly. "Yeah, I guess so…"

"Well, in any case, I kind of had my suspicions anyway. I mean, you were never obvious or anything, so don't worry! I just know you really well is all, and I always kind of wondered…"

"Well, er." Hiccup was fidgeting, still not ever quite _cozy_ with discussing this topic. "Now you, uh. Know."

There were awkward laughs for a few moments before Fishlegs spoke again. "Well, for the record, I think it's fine. And I'm glad you told me. But uh… about my first question?" he asked, and there was definitely a touch of delighted mischief in his voice.

Hiccup fought back an urge to groan. "The… the one about Jack?"

"Yes, that one."

"…Yeah." he sighed.

"I knew it!" Fishlegs nearly exclaimed, doing a tiny victory celebration before remembering Hiccup was standing near him. He coughed politely and Hiccup just rolled his eyes. "That's, uhm. That's wonderful Hiccup."

"I don't think I like that smug grin you're wearing, Fishlegs."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." he laughed out, nervously. The two could see a pair of approaching headlights, and Fishlegs smiled at having been saved by timing. "I think that's my mom."

"Yes, I'm really very sure that it probably is."

"So," Fishlegs began as he started to approach the slowing car. "I'm gonna assume Astrid probably knows."

"Yes, and she never stops bothering me about it."

Fishlegs laughed. "Well, in all seriousness, Hiccup… You _do_ know that if you ever need to talk to someone, you can talk to me too, right? I'd be glad to listen."

Hiccup, in spite of his joking irritation, let himself smile up at his genuine friend. He nodded. "Yes, Fishlegs. Thanks."

The other boy smiled back before jogging forward, greeting his mother as he hopped into the waiting car. They were gone not moments later.

.

* * *

.

"Well, Fishlegs is gone."

Jack's focus was drawn to his front door as Hiccup returned. He smiled at the brunette and stood from his reclined position on the sofa. "I hope you mean his mom popped by and got him. Because if he's just straight up gone I might be a little concerned."

"What do you think?" Hiccup asked sarcastically, brows raised and lips pulled to one side. From the couch, Mary snickered at her brother's expense.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever."

"Anyhow, I think me and Toothless are gonna head out too. Might as well, right?"

"Oh, wait, Hiccup." Jack responded, perhaps too quickly, before chuckling a bit. "Actually, do you think you could hang back for a while longer? I kinda wanna talk to you about a few things."

He couldn't be sure, but it looked like Hiccup was suddenly a little nervous? The green-eyed boy cleared his throat. "Uh, sure, alright. What about?"

Jack smiled and then turned to his sister, giving her a teasing expression. "Hey, squirt, why don't you go to your room and leave us be for a bit? Me and Hiccup have some private matters to discuss."

"'Private matters'? Quit trying to sound so fancy, Jack." she answered, puckish as ever.

"Well what would you rather I say? 'Get out of my hair because this is none of your beeswax'?"

"Maaaaybe. And what are you gonna do if I stay?"

Jack smiled devilishly and poised his fingers threateningly, edging toward her. "You wanna test me, kid?"

She was on her feet in a flash, dodging around behind the couch just as Jack made a dive for her. He recovered quickly, and leaped over the back of the couch after her, and Hiccup could only blink as he watched the older sibling chase the shrieking younger until she was eventually warded upstairs, calling playfully over her shoulder that she didn't want to hang around 'smelly old Jack' anyway.

When Jack returned, catching his breath from the run and the laughter, he fixed Hiccup with a winning smile. "So, uh. Wanna talk now?"

Hiccup's eyes softened and he nodded. "Sure Jack."

"Right." The taller of the two turned back to the stairs, motioning over his shoulder for Hiccup to follow him. "My room, then, if that's cool."

Hearing Hiccup's silent assent in the form of soft footsteps following him up the stairs, Jack took a quiet, heavy breath.

_This is it…_

**.**

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**Alright, I said pretty much all that needed to be said in the opening note, so I won't bore you all with my blatherings any further. Thanks for the read, feel free to review, and stay tuned for 'Inking, Phase 2'.**


	8. Drying Ink

**So after some consideration, I decided that this little arc of events worked better as a three-parter than as a two-parter (mostly because this part works better on its own than as part of a larger chapter). So, do please enjoy part 2 in the Inking trilogy, as well as by far the shortest chapter in the fic.**

**I guess you could think of it as a short (but rather important) intermission between the two Inking phases.**

**Also, this chapter's cover art is by the wonderful Laryndawn on Tumblr, and all of you should extend your love to her. I wonder who will be showcased next time? :D**

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* * *

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**Chapter 8**

**Drying Ink**

**.**

The subdued glow of a single, shaded lamp on the nightstand served as the only source of illumination in the room. Faint shadows hung along the wall in the dim space, and the familiar, disheveled atmosphere of the place created a somewhat soothing vibe. Something about Jack's bedroom, messy as it tended to be, was just inherently calming. Or at least, it was to the pale teen who claimed it. Being able to step across discarded shirts and settle himself comfortably into the unmade sheets on his bed helped to ease the nervous thrum of his heart. He would need this calm, this comfort, if he was going to do what he intended to do now.

Hiccup followed him into his room with a pace that was neither quick nor slow, taking in the surroundings once more and probably finding that not much had changed since he'd been here last. Jack saw his eyes settle on the crook, still leaning its sturdy, wooden length in the corner, and his stomach dropped a little further.

_Calm down_, he reminded himself. _This isn't a big deal._ Except it kind of was.

Hiccup took a seat beside Jack on the bed, and the dip in the mattress almost surprised Jack; part of him had lost track of where Hiccup had been for a moment, a bit too distracted with himself. He noticed the other boy looking tense, almost as nervous as Jack was certain he must have looked. Why was that, he wondered. What exactly was he anticipating here?

"So…" Hiccup trailed off, hands folded on his lap and eyes glancing furtively around.

Jack cleared his throat. "Yeah, right, uh. So, this is probably kind of sudden, but I was thinking… You've been telling me a lot about you. Like your art and stuff, and Astrid, and the stuff about your mom even. And now your leg…"

The brunette turned a questioning gaze upon Jack, looking a bit less confused now but certainly more curious. "…Yeah?"

"Ahh." Jack clapped his hands absently together for a moment, separating them to grip his knees. He was very aware that he was rocking just slightly back and forth on his mattress and that his anxiety was probably clear as day. "Well, I was thinking I'd tell you a few things. About me, that is."

"Oh."

A moment passed.

"Jack, uh, look, you don't seem entirely comfortable with this, so-"

"No, Hiccup, it's okay. It's just that…" The boy frowned. "I've never told this story to anyone before."

Green eyes grew more rounded, their owner turning to face Jack more directly. "…Never?"

"Not once." he replied, sighing again. "So… alright. Here goes."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, Hic, I'm sure!" Jack shot back.

"Look, Jack, all I'm saying is that it seems like you're kind of forcing this, and I mean, you shouldn't feel obligated to tell me this just because I told you about-"

"Hiccup, seriously, shut up." He was frowning deeply now, but his eyes were determined, and just as sincere as ever. "I'm not telling you out of obligation. Well, okay, maybe I feel _slightly_ bad about knowing things about you when I haven't said much, but still! I'm…" Jack hung his head and went silent for a moment. He reached out hesitantly and settled a hand on Hiccup's shoulder.

The boy flinched but didn't recoil from the contact. Jack lifted his face again, the frown gone, and locked eyes with his friend. He nodded and offered a light squeeze. "I'm telling you this, Hiccup, because you're my friend, and I trust you. And I _want_ you to know."

Hiccup was fairly sure that if he wanted to, he really couldn't have come up with an adequate response to that. So instead, he bit his lip a touch and nodded, quietly.

Jack released his shoulder and withdrew his hand, marrying it back with his other in his lap. There were a few more moments of silence and his shoulders slackened a bit.

"So this happened when I was nine years old. Mary was three. My parents, as they told me, were really happy because my dad had gotten this big promotion where he worked. I was never too aware, I guess, of money or how it worked or whatever, and I don't think I ever really noticed anything at the time, but looking back? I can tell we weren't exactly the wealthiest family for a long time. I remember that the other kids I grew up with had a lot more going for them than I did, but, hey, it didn't really bother me. I never thought of it. But my parents were really happy when my dad got the promotion, and I could tell it meant changes for the better.

"I mean, again, to the mind of a nine-year-old it's still not the most significant thing, and you can't really expect that I'd understand more than the fact that we'd be getting more money. I guess I was right about that, because after my dad had gotten his first few paychecks, my mom told me that she had a special surprise for me and Mary."

Hiccup could see that Jack already looked unhappy, and if this story was heading in the direction that Hiccup was beginning to dread, he could understand why. He sat in silence, listening with rapt attention.

"She bought us all a set of ice skates. We were ecstatic over it!" he stated, a tiny touch of nostalgic happiness briefly coloring his voice before it returned to its somber shade. "I had always wanted to go. And Mary was really excited too, even though I'm pretty sure she didn't even know what ice skating was yet. We'd never been able to afford those before, and these were some _nice_ skates. I could already tell just how different things were going to be with my dad's new job. Or how different they were supposed to be.

"So, next thing you know we're planning a little outing to the frozen pond we had in town. We had a pretty late winter that year, and the cold was hanging on tight, so the timing worked for us. My dad was gonna teach me and Mary how to skate, and it was supposed to be this big, fun time on the ice. But…" As Jack spoke, he had gradually been hunching forward, seeming to curl in on himself as he relayed more and more of the story. "Late as it was, I guess winter was still close enough to being over that the ice wasn't as thick as it should have been. My dad swore we'd be fine, but I guess he was wrong. Me and Mary were just getting the hang of it, I was holding onto her while we were skating off near the center," Jack waved his hand as if to gesture to the center of the pond, clearly seeing it in his memories while Hiccup could only imagine.

"And then it started to crack. I was terrified. I had seen movies where stuff like this happened, and all I could think about was how me and Mary were definitely going to drown. But then there was my dad, and he was watching us carefully while I held on to Mary, and he said…" Jack's mouth flattened. He recited those words that had stuck with him for eight long years, sometimes a mantra, other times a curse.

"_Believe in me, Jack. You and your sister are going to be fine."_

"_Dad! I'm scared!"_

"_You're not gonna fall, Jack. I promise. You have to believe in me."_

Jack could see the kind, reassuring eyes of his father, deep brown and genial, a mop of disheveled hair on his head almost a mirror of his son's. "'Believe in me,' he said." The youth spoke, and the weight of the words seemed to strike a chord in Hiccup as though he himself had been there to see this event. As if this story held that special meaning for him.

Jack wiped a hand across his eye, and Hiccup wondered how hard Jack must be trying not to get emotional at the moment. Probably about as hard as Hiccup had tried, he guessed, when he told Jack his own tale.

"So, he guided us. Told us he had a game for us to play. He helped me find the safe spots on the ice, and I was able to step away from the cracks, dragging Mary with me. It was all supposed to be perfectly alright, Hic." Hiccup's stomach fell out as he watched Jack's eyes. The expression on the boy's face as he revisited a terrible twist. "But Mary didn't understand what was happening. She didn't get how bad the situation was, or why she couldn't skate anymore. She started… shaking, struggling. Trying to get away from me because she wanted to go skate with our dad. I tried to hold on to her but she got away and started getting back onto the cracked ice. My mom panicked, and dashed out to her."

_A heart-crushing fear paralyzed the boy as he heard that loud crack, the terrifying shudder. He saw Mary's eyes widen as she finally seemed to understand what was about to happen. He saw his mother almost lose her footing as she frantically grabbed for her daughter. And with a strength that only a mother defending her young could muster, the woman threw Mary clear off the ice and onto Jack, both children flinging backwards and sliding to safety._

_For a moment, the nine-year-old felt relief, and smiled. And then that moment ended. The ice gave out beneath his mother's feet just as a flash of happiness had taken her features, and his father reached for her, grabbing tightly to her wrist as the pond opened its frozen maw beneath her, and both were sucked down faster than Jack could blink._

_There was, for a few moments, an indication of struggle beneath the surface. But it was all too fleeting, and then all was silent, still. Snuffed and chilled by the cruel grasp of the cold._

_Mary was crying. Jack sat at the pond's edge, wide-eyed and unable to speak. Unable to breathe._

"My mom saved her." Jack told Hiccup, his voice sounding almost dead. "But it cost her. And it cost my dad."

"Jack…" Hiccup finally spoke, barely above a whisper. So many thoughts hit him all at once. How horrible it was that Jack had to see that unfold, right before his eyes. He wondered maybe if Jack blamed himself at all. He thought back to how Jack had mentioned his age at the time – nine, the same age Hiccup had been when…

And both had happened in the grip of winter.

"I don't know how long I sat there," Jack was going on, shaking his head. "But eventually I guess I figured out that they weren't coming up. So I took Mary and I just… ran. Went looking for anyone who could help. But I guess I don't need to tell you that it was too late by then."

A terrible, frigid, sinking feeling had occupied Jack's chest as he spoke. He almost felt as though he was on the verge of a panic attack. He had never had one before, and wasn't even sure if he knew how to recognize one, but with the flashes of memory made all the more real by his telling of this story, the first time he had ever told it to anyone… He imagined that what he was feeling now had to be close to it. Why had he thought this was a good idea? Why, Jack? _Stupid, stupid Jack, you should have kept your mouth shut. Why would you dig this back up? You're such an idiot. _A dark voice seemed to whisper in his mind, and he subtly brought one hand up to knot in his hair, near his ear, as if he could block it out. The cold increased. _Just think, Jack, if you had never been so insistent about skating, if you could have just waited till next winter, your parents would still be alive now, wouldn't they? That's why you never get to stay in one place, you know. You're not allowed to meet new people. Every time you do, something bad happens. Haven't you learned your lesson by now? You think that Hiccup will be any different?_

Each taunt, each self-destroying reminder, each silent doubt that he kept locked up inside him and tried not to think about pushed its way into his mind now, the merciless whispers bringing only more cold into his person.

But then there was a bit of warmth. A contact. Jack opened his eyes (when had he started squeezing them shut?) and saw Hiccup. The boy looked uneasy, scared even, as he kneeled in front of Jack, looking up at his face with both hands braced on his shoulders.

"Jack?"

Jack took a few steadying breaths, staring into a deep, calming pair of green eyes. Green eyes that were laced with so much concern, and perhaps something else, something Jack couldn't name. "…Yeah?"

"Are you, uh, still with me?" Hiccup asked, cracking a slight smile. He chuckled a couple of times for effect, but it sounded hollow; a transparent mask for how much he must have been worrying at the moment.

"Y-… Yeah." Jack answered after a moment, nodding. His nagging doubts and fears and secret thoughts seemed to recede at the sight of his friend's countenance, and the coldness surrendered to the warmth that emanated from the boy's hands. He jerked his head forward again, more steady this time. "Yeah. Sorry, Hiccup. I'm okay, just… a lot for me to revisit."

Hiccup released another breathy laugh, this one a bit more genuine than the shell of a chortle he had managed previously. "Good." His body moved a fraction, and then he stopped, as though hesitant.

Jack wondered what he was doing, but the answer came in the form of a slightly determined look appearing on the brunette's freckled face. And then, much like Jack had on the previous week when Hiccup needed it, the boy leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Jack's shoulders. The hug seemed awkward and uncertain at first, but as Jack found himself smirking and leaning further into it Hiccup seemed to gather more confidence and tightened his hold.

"Thanks, Hiccup." Jack mumbled into the other boy's chest, indulging in this moment of comfort while simultaneously being unable to stifle the small laugh that escaped him.

"And what's so funny?" Hiccup asked, allowing himself a genuine, warm smile (seeing as how Jack couldn't see it) as he held the other boy. He rubbed a few circles on his back.

"I just think this is funny. Seems like this position would normally be reversed."

Hiccup frowned. "Pardon?"

"Oh, you know," Jack answered, and he pulled himself away from Hiccup's grip (silently lamenting the loss of the embrace but figuring enough time had passed). He held in a sniff while flashing an impish grin. "Seeing as how you're such a sensitive little flower, I just figure that I, being the paragon of manliness that I clearly am, would be the one to comfort you. Not the other way around."

"Charming. This side of you is charming." Hiccup blandly retorted, rolling his eyes. He didn't let it bother him though. Humor was clearly Jack's means of deflecting discomfort.

"I'm glad you think so." Jack answered, leaning back and crossing his arms in a self-satisfied manner. "Try not to swoon _too_ much, though."

"Ooh, Mr. Overland, ooh," The brunette tossed a hand lazily upward, laying the back of his palm against his forehead while he pretended to fan himself with the other.

The two boys could only hold straight faces for so long at that point; it wasn't long before they had fallen into a small giggle fit. Hiccup let himself fall back onto the carpeted floor, resting on the heel of his palms while Jack tipped lazily onto his side, sprawling himself on his bed. When the laughter had died down a bit, Jack sniffed again, and Hiccup could tell there was still a trace of moisture on his eyes.

"Thank you Hiccup." Jack stated warmly, turning his ceiling-bound gaze to rest on his friend. "I'm glad I could tell you that."

"Of course, Jack. I mean… it's like you said before. I understand, you know? And I'm glad I could, er, offer you an ear, and all that…" The boy had a tiny smile as he looked down, and it made Jack's heart flutter just slightly to look at it.

"Well… Uhm, I mean, there's more…"

"Ah?" Hiccup looked up, curious again.

"Yeah…" Jack took a couple of breaths and noted that he felt like he was fine again, nowhere near that verge of panic he had been on moments ago, and decided he could probably continue. "After that whole… incident. There was nothing anyone could do, when I went for help. They got us to a police station while a rescue crew went to get my parents. I got the news that they didn't make it not very long afterward, but it wasn't really a surprise."

Hiccup sighed, and Jack was sure he probably knew what that was like too. To be told what you already knew, even at such a young age. He also knew how devastating it could be to hear it out loud, no matter how expected it was.

"We didn't really have any other family. That was part of why we had it so rough, I guess. There was no one to help us when we were in trouble. I think my mom's parents had already passed, but she talked about them sometimes. I don't even know about my dad's, but I think they weren't on good terms. All I know is I never met them, and I don't think dad even knew where they were at the time anyway. And as far as I knew, neither had any siblings or anything. So there was no family to take us in. Me and Mary were officially orphaned."

"I'm guessing that you went to the orphanage around that time, then." Hiccup interjected, speaking slowly.

Jack nodded at the ceiling as he heaved a sigh. "Yep. There was nowhere else they could send us. We went to stay at the Kids' Home in Burgess, the city we lived in, and I guess it wasn't too bad, looking back. The guy running the joint was pretty nice, but was also kind of pain. I didn't make life easy for him."

"You had just lost your parents." Hiccup pointed out, and Jack could hear the sadness in his voice. His appreciation for Hiccup only increased at the sound of it, and he held back a small sob that had very suddenly threatened to rip its way out of him for a moment, covering it up with a cough.

"Yeah." he stated, nodding at nothing in particular. "And he understood that, I can tell. Was always sympathetic, no matter how much of a little shit I was to him. 'Course, I didn't talk to him very much for a while. Was pretty quiet, I guess. I always just stuck close to Mary. I knew how it worked, you know? There was no guarantee that, if we were adopted at all, we'd be kept together.

"But I guess we got pretty lucky. A few months after we got there, North showed up. He was on a delivery trip, I guess, and I felt like I recognized him. He looked like Santa," Jack laughed shakily, and Hiccup offered a sympathetic smile as he spoke. "North used to take jobs as Mall Santas around the holidays, just to spread the cheer around. To this day I'm pretty sure I saw him one year when my parents took me, and I wonder if he recognized me when he came in to the orphanage. I've never asked."

"Why not?"

Jack shrugged against his bedspread. "I guess I want to think that he did, and don't want to find out otherwise."

"Ah…"

"Well, anyhow, he was in town on a delivery, still working with the Station and all. And I guess he was friends with the Patron, because he came in for a visit. I met him, and I remember he was interested to see me. I took Mary away after that, but Aster – the patron – he told me later that North asked about why we were there. Said he was considering adopting us."

"Wow, really? That fast?" Hiccup asked, because it was honestly a little bewildering. He wasn't sure if Jack was rushing through the story, or if there were simply details that the boy didn't know.

"That's what I thought." Jack laughed back. "I asked him about it, once, after we were adopted. North never gave me a straight answer though. He basically said that something about me and Mary drew him in." Jack sat up from the bed, yawning a bit and staring at his wall, still lost in memories. "At the time I didn't believe it though. After Aster told me, I thought it was too good, too convenient, to be true. He tried to convince me otherwise though."

Hiccup was resting his arms around his knees, pulled loosely toward his chest, as he watched Jack carefully. He found himself very interested in this story, almost as though it was just a tale Jack was spinning and not a real event that had transpired, and had to fight back the urge to say 'And then what happened?'

"Gotta give the guy credit, he was pretty tenacious. Thinking back, I was pretty awful to him. Constantly played tricks, messed things up around the orphanage, took out a lot of my bad feelings on him. And he'd get pretty cranky with me over it – which was actually pretty funny, dude, he had the thickest Australian accent –"

"Australian? That's exotic." Hiccup chuckled.

Jack answered with his own, turning his gaze on Hiccup again for the first time in several minutes. "Seriously, and it was just blatant sometimes. Kinda made me wonder what he was doing here and not back in Australia. Anyhow, yeah, he'd get pretty angry at me for a lot of the things I did, but underneath his attitude… I dunno, I could kind of tell he cared. And I just didn't know why." Jack frowned deeply now, thoughts turning inward toward the boy he used to be, the irresponsible, vaguely selfish lout who didn't know how to repay kindness and at the tender age of ten was preparing to give in to despair. But he wasn't quite that boy anymore. Not entirely, at least. And he still wondered what had compelled Aster to bother wasting breath on him, or what compelled North to take him away from that place.

"But it helped him get through to me, I guess." he went on. "He'd talk to me a lot about, er…" he laughed sheepishly. This was sort of sappy, and therefore difficult for him to talk about. "Hope. Kept reassuring me when I would doubt that North was ever coming back. North couldn't adopt us right away. I was told he had a lot of business he needed to take care of first, and I just figured he'd been spouting hot air and wasn't gonna go through with it. But Aster would always lecture me about it, and I guess he kind of helped me out of the funk I was in. By the time North eventually came back almost a year later, I think I wasn't quite as much of a shit as I was when I got there."

"Still a shit, though." Hiccup added, smirking. "That much hasn't changed."

"Hey!" Jack exclaimed, furrowing his brow. "I'm pouring my heart out, here!"

Hiccup simply giggled at him, raising one of his eyebrows. "That doesn't mean I'm wrong."

Jack's answering smirk indicated amusement in spite of his attempts to pretend he was affronted. "Right, of course. And I guess the guy who interrupts my heartfelt tale to talk about how much of a shit I am isn't the least bit shitty himself, is he?"

"Oh, no, I'd say that makes me pretty shitty too." Hiccup responded carelessly, making a show of examining his nails.

"Then we're a pair of shits, glad we established that." The two laughed at one another's odd expressions for a moment, and once that had passed, Jack slung his legs back over the mattress, sitting on the edge once more. "Well, anyhow, for reasons I'm still unsure of, North decided he wanted to change me and Mary's lives. So he adopted us, took a permanent position with his job, and we started living together."

"…But it didn't stay permanent." Hiccup stated slowly.

Jack sighed, expression falling as he shook his head. "No, it didn't. And it never has."

Almost as if on instinct, Jack looked over at his crook again, its presence ensuring that the weight in his chest, no matter how small, couldn't simply be forgotten. He glanced back at Hiccup only to find that his brunette friend had caught him staring at the object. He looked at Jack now, as though expecting an explanation. But Jack wasn't quite feeling like relaying that story on top of everything.

"Anyway," Jack mumbled, scratching at his head. "That's basically what I wanted to tell you."

"Oh." Hiccup blinked. He glanced at the stick again, and Jack wondered if he was thinking about asking about it. But the question that came instead took Jack rather off guard. "So… does Mary know?"

"What?" But no repetition was really needed. Jack already knew what Hiccup was getting at.

"Well, you said you'd never once told that story to anyone before. So I guess that means you wouldn't have told the Patron, or even the cops, exactly how it happened, so your dad wouldn't know either… And didn't you say Mary was three?"

Jack's head hung low. Damn it. Hiccup was way too perceptive for his own good. "Yeah. She was three. Still not old enough to really remember it, though. So the answer is no, I've never told her."

"Jack… why?" The white-haired teen looked up to lock eyes with confused forests, and there was an almost accusatory look in that expression. "You've never told her how her own parents died?"

"No, I haven't." Jack's reply was solid, firm. "Hiccup, telling that story to _you_ was hard enough, and I'd think you could appreciate how hard it was to talk about."

"I do, Jack. What I don't understand is how you couldn't talk about it with your own flesh and blood, who has probably been curious about it for a long time."

"Gah, I- what's with this all of a sudden?" Jack asked, displaying a flash of irritation that was rather new for Hiccup. He was fairly sure he had never had Jack actually angry with him yet. "What does it matter to you if I tell her?"

"Okay, Jack, no." Hiccup's voice held just as much fire, though, and he stood up from his seated position so he could stare down at his friend. "She has a _right_ to know and it isn't fair to keep that from her. If my mom had…" he faltered for a moment, but redoubled. "If my mom had died in that car crash and I had never seen it, and my dad had never told me how it happened, I'd hate it. I'd wonder forever what happened to her, Jack, and I wouldn't think it's fair. How would you feel if the positions were reversed, and you never got to know?"

"I'd probably be a lot happier!" Jack shot back, standing as well so as to exploit the inch of height he had on Hiccup. He didn't much favor being looked down on in this moment. "Mary is happy now, Hiccup. To her, North is her dad, and no one else. She only vaguely remembers our parents, and she's able to be happy with North because of it. I can't do that. No matter how hard I try, I can't see him as my _dad_, Hiccup. And I'm stuck with the knowledge of _why_ every fucking day." he spat. "Why would I want to expose Mary to that?"

Hiccup was slightly at a loss, shrinking back just slightly at Jack getting so angry with him right in his face. And of course, that unintentional bit of information regarding his feelings about North took him by surprise as well – Jack heard it as he spoke it, and there was already plainly evident regret on his face that he'd let that slip.

"They were still her parents." Hiccup said, quietly and calmly. He steadied his footing and stood up straight. "No matter how you try to justify it, Jack, they were still her parents. And I'm sure she's probably asked you about it. Am I wrong?"

Jack's shoulders were visibly moving with the force of the breaths he was taking, still trying to be angry. "No."

"Then how do you have any right to withhold it from her? Do you really think you're doing her a favor this way?"

"Yes!" Jack almost shouted, carefully trying to control the volume of his voice. The girl in question was just down the hall, after all. "Yes, I do. I'm doing her a favor because if I tell her the story, she's going to blame herself for it."

"What?" Hiccup was legitimately confused now, mouth slightly agape as he screwed up his eyes at his friend. "Why would you think that?"

"Because Hiccup, in case you forgot," Jack was muttering lowly, darkly. "She was the one who ran back out onto the ice when she and I _should_ have been safe, and because of that my mom went to get her. And then she and my dad fell."

A damp curtain of silence had descended upon the pair. Hiccup swallowed, and Jack could see on his face the connections he was probably drawing in his mind. _Shut up, Jack, shut up, Jack, why can't you ever just shut up… _he internally berated himself.

"Jack…" Hiccup started hesitantly, and Jack looked away from him, ashamed. "…Do _you_ blame Mary for their death?"

After another beat of silence that seemed like it lasted far too long, one in which Jack paced away, ran fingers through his hair and pulled, and eventually leaned his forehead against his small closet door, he answered. "No. Not anymore, at least. But I did. When I was younger, I did. I kept telling myself it was all her fault, and as much as I loved her – love her still – I just couldn't break the conviction that none of it would have happened if she could have just kept still."

He turned to face Hiccup again, and the tears he had been fighting valiantly all night long had finally started to fall, if only slightly. A couple pinpricks of liquid sat at the corners of his eyes, and they were starting to drip down toward pale cheeks. Jack brought a hand to wipe them. "But she was just a kid, Hic. She didn't know any better. I've known for a while now that I can't blame her for it, and I don't anymore. But there's a part of me that just can't let it go. And she's the last family I have! How can you expect me to tell all of this to her, when she'll probably start to blame herself just as much as I used to, if not more. I don't…" he trailed off, clenching and unclenching one of his fists.

"…You don't what?"

"I don't want her to go through what I spent so long going through. Back before we started moving, after we were adopted, I started spending as much time away from the house as I could. Not because I didn't like North, but because I just wanted to be away from her when I could. I loved her so much, and I made sure she always knew it, but there was a sick feeling in my stomach every time I looked at her. And what the hell kind of brother feels that way around his sister? I needed to be away from her, and so I left her behind a lot. I don't want her to know why. I don't want her to think that I hated her. Or that I still do."

Jack was no longer facing Hiccup. He was facing the wall again, bringing one hand up to his mouth while the other wrapped almost protectively around his midsection. It was the most reserved body language Hiccup had ever seen him exhibit, the smallest he had ever looked. His shoulders were shaking.

Jack couldn't understand what he was doing anymore. He hadn't planned on telling Hiccup any of this. There was only so much he was going to reveal tonight. It was planned, it was rehearsed, it was careful. But somehow, the freckled brunette had flipped on a faucet, and Jack couldn't stop himself now. He felt disgusted with himself, exposing these weaknesses, and simply the fact that it was _Hiccup_, the guy whose opinion seemed to matter more than anyone else's, just made it so much worse.

"Jack, do you love your sister?"

"What kind of question is that." Jack replied, not turning around and keeping his voice from shaking.

"It's an honest one. Do you?"

"Of course I do."

"Look at me and tell me that." Hiccup demanded, his voice surprisingly firm. It held that determination that Jack knew he was capable of but that he didn't always choose to show off.

Jack did as bidden, turning to see Hiccup staring earnestly into his eyes. "Yes, Hiccup, I love my sister."

Hiccup watched his eyes, and then nodded. "I believe you. And Mary will too."

"Hiccup-"

"Shut up and listen to me." Hiccup cut him off, glaring. "Look, I'm… I'm not good with this stuff." he admitted, vestiges of awkwardness returning. "I never have been. I know that. But, even still, I think I'm observant enough to know honesty when I see it. And I know that Mary, uhm." he fidgeted, rubbing his arm. "She loves you. I can see that much. And I know you're not lying when you say you love her. And that you don't blame her anymore. So shouldn't that be enough? I don't… I don't think that, no- I _know _she won't think you hated her. She's not as much of a moron as you are."

Though the comment was barbed, it came accompanied with a slight, reassuring smile. Jack felt his eyes still prickling a bit, but he didn't have it in him to argue.

"I mean, she'll probably be mad that you have never told her before, but. She'll get over that, I think. Jack I think she'd just be glad that she finally knows. And I mean, maybe she'd be able to help you get past it, too." he added quietly, still feeling awkward. Honestly he found it strange how, in spite of his own problems, he'd always been at least decent at helping out others and offering advice where he could. But he never felt any less strange every time he did so. "I just really think she deserves to know, Jack. You both need that closure."

Jack's hands dropped to his sides as he stared at the carpet. Hiccup was right. Surprise surprise, Hiccup was, once again, right. Jack didn't want to accept it, but there it was. "You just think you're so smart, don't you?" he asked.

"Iiii have my moments."

Jack snorted and aimed a defeated smile at the other. "Fine. You win."

"Wait, what?" Hiccup asked, blinking.

"I'll tell her." Jack explained, swallowing hard. "I'll tell Mary about it."

"O-oh. Well. Yes. Good." Hiccup cleared his throat and nodded. He seemed unsure where to go from there. "Well… hey, Jack, look. I'm sorry."

Jack's smile grew slightly, and he wiped another irritating bit of moisture from his face. "What are _you_ apologizing for?"

"Just… everything?" Hiccup supplied, shrugging. "You probably needed to hear all that, but still. I'm sorry I yelled at you. And maybe made you feel crappy."

"Well, in that case, I'm sorry too." came the reply, Jack sending his own apologetic expression to his friend and stepping toward him. "Because you're probably right. I did need to hear it, I guess." Much as he hated to admit that and was still pretty unhappy about it. "But I'm sorry for being an ass about it. And I mean…" he sighed. "Thank you. For being here, and, well. Being awesome."

Hiccup smiled and it made Jack feel a little warmer. "You don't need to thank me, Jack."

"I don't need to thank you for putting up with my dramatic bullcrap?" Jack asked, flaying his hands out comically in emphasis of those last two words, once again trying to make light of the affair.

"Hey, I'm your friend. It's an occupational hazard." Hiccup shrugged back.

Laughter sounded before the white-haired boy abruptly moved forward and pulled Hiccup close to him once again, squeezing tight and burying his face in Hiccup's shoulder. "For real, Hic." he said, voice muffled in Hiccup's light jacket. "Thank you. For being here, for listening. And…" he breathed out as he felt Hiccup return the embrace, squeezing just as tightly. "And for being my friend."

"Uhm." Jack could feel the other's boy's breath on his neck. There was a mild laugh. "I should be thanking you for the same thing. But you're welcome, Jack. I'm, uh, happy to do it."

He laughed back, and the two held the embrace for several moments more. More time than Hiccup thought was appropriate, apparently, because he was clearing his throat soon enough.

"We, uh, should probably stop doing the hugging thing, so much, hahah."

"Hm, why?" Jack replied teasingly, tightening his hold. "Maybe I like the hugging."

"Jack, breath. I need it."

Complying, the taller boy released his hold and pulled back a bit, looking down into Hiccup's somewhat relieved-looking green eyes and smiling. Hiccup met both the grin and the gaze with his own, and as Jack felt those warm hands trailing off of his back and away, he felt an indescribable feeling of loss. His own hands still remained loosely perched on Hiccup's shoulders. And time seemed to slow down.

His smile faltered, dropping into a neutral, perhaps searching expression. Eyebrows furrowed curiously. Hiccup gawped back up at him, his own grin having been replaced with something of a questioning look. He looked confused. Why was he confused? Was there something on Jack's face? Jack blinked and wondered why he still felt so cold on that spot on his back where Hiccup's arms had just been wrapped a moment ago. He wanted to hug him again, get that warmth back. His hands squeezed at Hiccup's shoulders ever so slightly, seemingly of their own accord, and he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination or if Hiccup's breath had actually slowed just now.

He could see Hiccup's fingers twitching at his sides. Like he wanted to grab something. The boy still looked confused, and as Jack felt his tongue licking at his own lips, a strange feeling of anticipation in his chest, he began to notice how very close their faces were at the moment. Was that Hiccup's breath he could feel on his face? Was he getting closer…? Yes, he was, and it was because Jack was leaning down, little by little…

He stopped. What was he doing? What the hell did he think he was doing?

"Jack…?" Hiccup's voice. It was still confused. Very confused. Weirded out, maybe.

Jack pulled his arms from Hiccup's shoulders and laughed, too loudly, too long, trying to hide an obvious anxiety. "You know, I just realized, Hiccup." he stated conversationally, stepping out of the brunette's personal bubble and toward his bedroom door. "I just realized how late it's getting. You should probably be getting back soon, I mean your dad is probably wondering where you are, and North will be home soon…"

Hiccup seemed to falter on his feet before he stammered a reply. "Er, r-right. Yeah. It's, uh, late. I should go."

Jack led the boy quietly down the hall then, and Hiccup wordlessly put his shoes back on once they had arrived at the door.

"So… you'll be back tomorrow, right?" Jack asked. Nervous. He was so nervous.

"Oh! Uh… yeah. I mean Astrid's going to want to keep training. We'll be back tomorrow and Friday, probably."

"Yeah, yeah…"

Hiccup stood and opened the door. Toothless sat at the doorstep, looking up with some clear impatience once Hiccup stepped outside. He meowed a seemingly obligatory greeting.

"Yeah, sorry bud, lost track of time."

It seemed like Hiccup could not get out of the house quickly enough, and after… whatever the hell _that_ had been, Jack couldn't blame him. "Right, so… night." Jack bid, looking away.

But when Hiccup looked back and offered him that warm smile again, it eased the feeling in Jack's chest that he'd just almost done something really stupid. "Goodnight, Jack. I'll see you tomorrow. And uh… sleep well, and all…"

Jack smiled back. Hiccup was still nervous. Awkward. Jack hoped they could completely forget about that tomorrow. "Yeah. You too."

As soon as Hiccup and Toothless had departed, Jack closed the door firmly and let himself slide down against it, groaning and taking somewhat labored breaths. _What was that?_ he asked himself. _What the actual hell was that, Jack!?_

Was he…? Was he seriously about to…? No. No. Bad Jack. That was completely out of the question. His stomach was in knots. Where had that even come from? What was fucking _with_ him? _And hell, Hiccup looked so… _He looked like a deer in headlights. He looked freaked out. Every sign Jack could recall noticing pointed to the fact that it would have been a very _bad move_ to keep on with… with what he was almost sure he had been about to do.

And it freaked _him_ out, too. He had no idea what had suddenly compelled him to think 'Hey, Hiccup is like right there, maybe I should plant one on him.' And what was worse, now he couldn't stop thinking about it. He couldn't stop thinking about that single moment the two had just had. And it was like a floodgate had opened in his subconscious, and a thousand things he had been trying to ignore were suddenly forcing themselves to the surface, demanding he acknowledge them.

"_Fucking shit._"

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* * *

.

Hiccup's mind was _reeling_.

He walked, eyes wide, cheeks red, running through the scenario over and over and over again in his head. Was it him who had started leaning up? Or was it Jack that leaned down? Was it Hiccup that broke through Jack's bubble and started sharing air with the boy, or was Jack the instigator?

Most importantly; was Hiccup subconsciously going for a kiss, or had Jack seriously been about to kiss him?

He couldn't make a definitive ruling in either direction. But, as he considered how Jack had suddenly stepped away, awkward, nervous, hurried, and seemed to rush Hiccup right out of his house… Hiccup had a heavy, dreading feeling in his gut that it had been all him. And now he worried that Jack was trying to keep it casual, but… Hiccup had probably made him extremely uncomfortable.

"This is bad, this is so, so bad," he muttered to himself, extremely frustrated and full of terror.

He stopped. Toothless stopped as well, meowing questioningly. His human was acting especially peculiar and it had the feline slightly alarmed. He could smell the sweat coming off the human boy, and it was definitely a frightened scent.

"Calm down, Hiccup." He told himself. "This doesn't have to mean anything. We can… I can just pretend it didn't happen. Act like nothing happened at all. Be completely normal next time I see Jack. He smiled at you, he was trying to be his normal self. That's what you'll do. Whatever… whatever _that _was, it didn't just happen. Not as far as you're concerned. Hell, pretend you don't even remember it for all I care, just…"

He growled at no one, buried his cold hands in coat pockets that were probably inadequate for this weather (should have brought the thicker coat), and kicked at a pile of slush. "Just don't do anything like that ever again."

As Hiccup slunk the rest of the way home, he tried to ignore the incredibly painful lurch in his chest that came with the thought that any stupid hopes he'd had about a relationship with Jack were probably all for naught at this point.

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**Yeeeeeah. Welp, not much more to say. I would appreciate my organs in tact, so please do not skewer me.**


	9. Inking, Phase 2

**So, first things first, I am DEEPLY SORRY ABOUT THE HORRENDOUS DELAY. Basically I was taking a very short break from the story after the previous chapter – wasn't supposed to be more than five days before I would be getting back to writing. But then that break ended up being longer than anticipated because too many things ended up happening that distracted me.**

**It's pretty lame, I know. But the important thing is that the update is here now. Woo! Let's cheer. And have tea, that's always a cool thing to do.**

**Oh, but it seems like some people were worried that I had ended the fic? Like I got some guest reviews who were urging me not to stop it there and all. Ahaha, I dunno where you guys got that idea but rest assured, the story isn't over. We've still got a ways to go.**

**I would like to once again thank every one of you for your support and all the tons of reviews. Did you guys know Apocryphal Gallery is now the #3 Most Reviewed Hijack fic on FF? That's insane! Thanks to each and every one of you amazing, awesome readers, and sorry to those whom I cannot respond to due to being guest reviewers, haha.**

**Last but not least, let's have a hand for this chapter's Cover Artist, Snow-Runt / AiTaiOrihara (Tumblr name and FF name, respectively), who drew that adorable piece currently adorning the fic! (By the way, at the time that this is posted, it is almost her birthday. So happy friggin' birthday, Tai).  
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**I've spent enough time talking and you guys probably just want to read now, right? Okay, here we go.**

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**Chapter 9**

**Inking, Phase 2**

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The passage of Thursday and Friday were a dull murk of monotonous school days, preparatory lectures for the upcoming tests, awkward silences with Stoick (what was _eating_ the man so much? Hiccup was legitimately becoming curious), and late nights of listlessly browsing the internet, punctuated with the mounting anxiety of the approaching show day, Astrid's daily training regimen with Stormfly, and the biting feelings of misery that were now providing Hiccup with their nightly company.

Thursday morning, much to Hiccup's dread, brought the confirmation that things most certainly were not about to 'normalize' between Hiccup and Jack. From the first greeting they exchanged at first period, the air had been tense and heavy and it was plain as day that there was a subject that was eagerly being avoided. Hiccup felt like he was walking on eggshells any time he was even somewhat 'alone' with the boy, even if that just meant being left alone at their lunch table for a moment while Astrid or Fishlegs excused themselves to the restroom. The lingering awkwardness of Wednesday night continued to be an elephant in the room that haunted the two.

Sure, it wasn't so much an issue when they were in the company of others. If even one other person was around, it was almost like nothing had changed – Jack would joke and tease, Hiccup would mouth off smartly, and the routine seemed to be back in effect. But across the mere two-day span, anyone paying attention could tell that even _that_ was merely a façade. Jack's jokes seemed shallow, forced. Hiccup's quips weren't as instant as they should have been, his laughter more nervous than sardonic. And of course, any and all physical interaction – shoulder nudges, head taps, and a variety of other pointless touches that the two had perhaps unconsciously developed as part of their routine – had halted entirely.

Hiccup was almost worried that Astrid might have started noticing these changes, and feared that she might question him on the matter. But, aside from the occasional odd glance, the girl didn't seem to be thinking too deeply on it, too focused on training Stormfly with the obstacle course to notice the now-and-then weirdness that had settled between the two boys. Fishlegs, meanwhile, seemed much more perceptive, but whether through lack of familiarity with the situation (having just learned about it days prior) or some other reason, he too held his silence.

Hiccup simply chose to try and avoid thinking about it, letting the competition and Astrid's progress serve as powerful distractions for him. He timed every run through the obstacle course, helped Astrid manage the Collie's coat, and constantly stayed on top of any last-minute updates the blonde might need to be aware of for show day. It worked well enough during the day time at least. But as he found himself staring at the ceiling each night, fighting valiantly to ignore the horrible hollow feeling in his chest, he knew that he couldn't keep his mind away from it forever.

On Friday evening he found himself calmly wondering if this is what heartbreak felt like. He assessed his situation, staring at the bare greens above him and methodically made a small list. A sinking feeling of increasing despair? Check. A feeling like a clamp on his chest whenever the thought of 'He's not like that, you freaked him out, just like you thought you would' echoed in his mind? Check. A strange depression that made him question getting out of bed that morning? Yep. It was Hiccup's scholarly opinion that he was indeed suffering the effects of heartbreak, in all likelihood.

You know, he'd told Astrid this would happen, but did she listen? Nope. He sighed. It wasn't her fault, of course, and he wasn't about to make it out to be. But stuck in the state he was in at the moment, he didn't feel he really wanted to talk about it to anyone at all, let alone _her_. Perhaps if he'd been in his usual sorts, he might have had a moment to scoff at himself for these thoughts – _gods, Hiccup, you're being such a dramatic _teenager_ right now _– but alas, he most certainly was not in his usual sorts.

Still, he eventually managed to put himself to sleep that night, and considering that it was now Saturday morning, he could at least come up with several reasons to get out of bed, those very reasons being exactly what he needed to distract him from his depressed funk. As the boy gathered his belongings – coat, phone, wallet, satchel of supplies for the short road trip, etc. – in preparation for the outing that was to come, any worries regarding his situation with Jack were presently being pushed as far back in his mind as possible.

"Today's the day, Buddy!" Hiccup told his feline companion excitedly, but Toothless seemed to be in no mood to share in his excitement, curled into a furry huff at the corner of Hiccup's bed. "Heeeey, come on, don't be like that. You know I'd love to take you if I could."

The cat simply ruffled the fur along his body briefly before smoothing it out.

"Toothless, come on, it's a _dog show_. That means dogs. Lots of dogs, buddy. And not all of them are as friendly toward cats as Stormfly."

Toothless replied with a small growl.

"Yes, you're ferocious and awe-inspiringly terrifying, Toothless, I know. But you'd also be heavily outnumbered. It's a fiasco I'd rather avoid. Now come on, bud, at least see me off."

But as Hiccup reached out to pet the Burmese, he sprung up as though he had eyes in the back of his furry head and darted beneath the bed. Probably to sulk.

Hiccup puffed a cheek out and shrugged. "Fine, fine, suit yourself. I'll see you tonight. Your feeder is rigged for the day, so don't bother my dad for food."

Seeing as how Toothless had nothing further to say to him, Hiccup paced his way into the hall and trudged down the steps, deciding he'd better catch a decent breakfast before the trip. He was greeted, unsurprisingly, by the sight of his father in the midst of cooking a meal. Stoick, on the other hand, did seem surprised to see Hiccup up and about so early on a Saturday.

"Son. Good morning." he greeted, blinking.

"'Morning, dad. That smells good."

Stoick raised a bushy eyebrow at the pleasant remark. Hiccup seemed to be in rather good spirits. "Just pancakes and bacon. Are you going somewhere?" he asked, noting his son's rather busy appearance.

"Oh, yeah." Hiccup affirmed, taking a seat. "Astrid's taking me into Bogsvale today to see some wrestling."

Stoick temporarily halted in shifting the bacon strips around the skillet, eyeing Hiccup quizzically. "You like wrestling?"

"Well, no, not really," he replied, shrugging. "But Astrid didn't want to go on her own, so she's bringing me along. I don't _dis_like it, though, so…"

"Ah." Stoick nodded, seeming to find that that explanation made much more sense. "And were you going to tell me before running off to the next town over?" he asked, turning back to his cooking.

Hiccup swallowed, glad he wasn't questioning the 'wrestling' excuse any further, but realizing he probably could have stood to tell Stoick about this little outing a few days in advance. Driving somewhere that was an hour or so away wasn't exactly the same as spending the day in town, no matter how old Hiccup was. Parents do tend to worry.

"Sorry dad, guess it kind of slipped my mind."

"Just be back before too late. When does it start?"

"Around five-ish? I'm gonna be leaving in an hour or so, though, take in the city a little before it starts. It'll probably let out around eight, so I'll be home no later than ten." Hiccup recited, trying to make it sound not quite as rehearsed as he knew it was; the dog show would be done with quite a bit earlier than that, but the time that Hiccup had cited would allow the group some buffer space to enjoy Bogsvale for a bit afterward.

"Be sure that you do. And be careful. Bogsvale is a busy place, and there's more crime after dark." Stoick spoke without turning away from his pancakes, lifting them via spatula onto a couple of plates.

"I know how to take care of myself, dad, don't worry."

Stoick grunted and brought the steaming, appetizing dishes to the table, setting one before his son. "You've been over at the Norths' house a lot this week."

That was… a rather random observation. From Hiccup's point of view, at least. He took a bite of pancake, savoring it for a moment, before answering. "Er, yeah? Is that a, uh, problem?" he asked with a somewhat confused expression.

Stoick's eyes widened a touch and he coughed, shaking his head. "No, no, not a problem." he replied quickly in a disarming tone. "Just not used to you being out so often."

"Oh." Well, that was true. Hiccup usually limited his time outside to visits to the cove, or the plaza, and was almost always home before Stoick got back from work (whenever that was on any given day), and friends usually came to _his_ house rather than the other way around. He shrugged. "Well, you know."

It was hardly a very good response, but anything else he could have said ('I like hanging out with Jack', 'His house is fun', 'It's nice to get away from here') would probably sound awkward. And of course there was the matter of keeping silent about the training.

Stoick ate his bacon in thoughtful silence, as though trying to figure out what it was 'he knew', according to Hiccup. From the corner of his eye, Hiccup watched him carefully. He was still more than a little perplexed at his father's odd behavior lately. It was going beyond the usual awkward rapport the two Haddock men were known for, and the longer Stoick wore the impression of being troubled by a silent something, the more troubled it made Hiccup feel by consequence. He felt as though an invisible guillotine hung by a precarious thread over his head, and Stoick was just waiting for the right time to snip it.

"How's school?"

Hiccup almost jumped at the broken silence. He sighed inwardly. Yet another sudden, seemingly random question. "It's a little stressful. Tests start on Monday, so it's been a lot of studying and review."

"Ah, well, you always do well on those…" The distant look never left his eyes, his answer carrying an absent quality as he chewed.

Hiccup almost wanted to growl. This was getting ridiculous. Never before had he wanted to seize his father by the shoulders and tell him to 'spit it out already!' as much as he did right now. And he had never been more relieved to hear the sound of a honking car horn.

Stoick's attention was finally drawn back to the here and now, staring in the direction of the front door. Hiccup sprang to his feet, taking a few more bites of pancake and finishing his bacon strips before he adjusted the strap of his satchel on his shoulder.

"That'll be my ride, dad. See you later!"

And with that he was hurrying for the door, closing it behind him and moving towards the dark green car that idled in front of the house. He could see Astrid waving from the front seat, Stormfly somewhat crammed up there with her, and in the back… there was Tuffnut, head propped against the glass of his window and yawning. Hiccup took a breath and opened the back door, hopping into the seat behind Astrid's.

Tuffnut, having probably been dozing, snapped back to full awareness when the door was firmly shut, blinking blearily at Hiccup a few times before scowling. "You didn't tell me _he_ was coming." he spoke accusingly to his sister in the driver's seat, who rolled her eyes and navigated away from the curb.

"Shut up, Tuffnut."

Hiccup aimed his eyes forward, away from the grumpy blonde and toward the large, furry body of Stormfly, who was peeking over the edge of Astrid's seat at the new arrival. The brunette smiled and offered her a quick pet while Astrid urged the canine down.

"Settle down, girl, you can't be climbing all over me!"

After the brief exchange, however, things seemed to silence in the vehicle, Hiccup feeling awkward tension while Tuffnut glared at nothing and pressed himself up against the other door in an effort to share as little space with Hiccup as possible. Astrid wasn't talking much, and Ruffnut appeared to be focusing on the drive, navigating toward the large road that would eventually lead to a freeway.

A buzzing in his pocket offered the boy a distraction for which he almost sighed in relief, ignoring Tuffnut in favor of checking the text message he had received.

'_Hey! We just got fishlegs. Were gonna start heading out as soon as i googlemap where i need to go.'_

There was a rather odd sensation in his stomach, a cross between a twinge of sadness and a warm fondness. Hiccup smiled just slightly, glad for the reminder that he wouldn't just be sitting in the stands with the twins, and never _not_ pleased to hear from Jack. But of course, given present circumstances (which he was _supposed_ to not be thinking about, come on Hiccup!), it still made it hard for his smiles to reach his eyes.

'_Oh, cool, good. Just don't get lost.'_

'_Hic come on isnt it like just one big road and then a freeway for like an hour'_

'_Yeah, but I wouldn't be surprised if you still managed to get lost.'_

He chuckled quietly to himself at the indignant response that followed, but he had to admit there was maybe a shred of legitimate concern for the situation; sure, following one road seemed simple enough, but Berk was one of those out-of-the-way locales that was pretty much separated from any and all surrounding cities and towns by at least an hour's worth of distance. Distance that was occupied by a few roads, railroad tracks, a freeway, and lots and lots of forest. The last thing they needed was for Jack to get the bright idea that taking a detour through the woods was a good idea. But then, he did have Fishlegs with him, so things probably couldn't get too bad.

Probably.

'_How did you get the car, anyway?'_ Hiccup typed quickly.

'_Pft dude i just asked. Told north i wanted to borrow the car and go to bogsvale with you guys for the day for the show and mary tossed in some begging. He couldnt say no!'_

Ah, that's right. Hiccup kept forgetting that North had finally been filled in about the dog show and its surreptitious nature, and had tentatively promised his silence on the matter. It hadn't occurred to the brunette that an effective means of getting something from an adult was to simply ask them for it. What that said about his life and how he led it, he'd rather not dwell on.

Before he could respond, another text from Jack arrived.

'_Anyway i have the directions so i need to focus on driving now. See you when we get there.'_

Hiccup nodded at the screen, regardless of how dumb it was to nod at someone who couldn't see him. He considered replying with an acknowledgement, but decided against it. Jack knew he got the message. And to be honest, Hiccup was still uneasy about extended communication with him. That dark, heavy feeling in his chest showed no signs of subsiding, regardless of distractions – it only dulled, at most – and every little thing that stuck out as different between them only made it worse. Namely, the fact that even Jack's texts over the last couple of days had been sparse and more impersonal. They lacked his usual tendency toward ridiculous smiley faces. Such a small thing, but it stuck out to Hiccup.

The silence of the drive had been relieved, thankfully, once they had hopped onto the northbound freeway to Bogsvale, and Ruffnut flicked the radio to life while starting up conversation with Astrid. It was difficult to tell what it was about, what with the loud sound of wheels on pavement that came with such speedy driving, as well as the sound of the radio helping to drown it out. It also nearly stifled the sound of the teen beside him, who suddenly spoke up in a relatively quiet voice.

"Hey."

Hiccup's eyes were drawn to the other passenger, who was now looking at him with something akin to disdain, arms crossed like a pouting child.

"Did you say something?" Hiccup asked while Astrid chatted up front, seemingly unaware of this new conversation going on behind her.

"Yeah." Tuffnut replied. "Is your head alright?"

"Is my…?" Hiccup furrowed his brows, bemused. Then he thought back to the football game weeks prior, and his confrontation with his cousin. "You mean th- Uh," he rubbed at his neck, cocking his head to the side a bit. "Yeah, it's fine."

Tuffnut turned away, slouching in his seat and still looking like he was in an angry huff over something. "Good."

"…That all?"

"Yes."

"…Sooo, I don't suppose you can tell me where Snotlout's been since that-"

Tuffnut groaned and rolled his eyes in an incredibly dramatic fashion, leveling a glare at his unwanted companion afterward. "Stop talking to me."

"O-Okay." Hiccup answered quickly. His cheeks puffed up as he rolled his own eyes away and back toward his window, letting the air out as he tapped his hands against his lap.

Silence.

The brief exchange went unnoticed by the two girls, and they continued to entertain themselves in their own world, Ruffnut only loosely paying attention to the rather empty stretch of road. Hiccup's hands began to tap out a beat on his thighs as he listened to the music on the radio, small claps keeping time to the rhythm. He quit doing that as soon as he saw Tuffnut aiming a scowl at him for it.

_What a regular ray of sunshine, this guy…_

When Ruffnut had pulled off to the shoulder to stop for gas, roughly half an hour into the trip at a rest stop, Hiccup felt like he couldn't get out of the car fast enough. Astrid had already hopped out after her friend, letting Stormfly out to stretch her legs and run around a bit, but Hiccup's escape into the outside world was halted by the voice of his fellow passenger, once again speaking up.

"Hey."

The freckled boy paused with his hand poised at the door handle. "Yeah?"

"He's sorry."

"He- what?"

"Ugh, I said he's sorry. You wanted to know why I asked about your stupid head, right? Snotlout wanted to know if you were okay, and he's sorry for hitting you."

Okay, seriously, what the hell? Where was all of this coming from? "Uhh… that's great, Tuffnut, really, but maybe Snotlout could, oh, I don't know, tell me that himself? Or for that matter, he could have done that back when it actually happened, now there's a thought."

"Whatever!" Tuffnut retorted, seeming exasperated. "He's just sorry, alright?"

"No, Tuffnut, not alright, because again, it'd be nice to hear that from _him_. And frankly, I'm a little weirded out that you're telling me this out of the blue like thi-"

But Tuffnut didn't let him finish that sentence. Instead, he simply opened his own door, grunted in nihilistic frustration, and stalked out of the car and toward the main building of the gas station.

Ruffnut watched him go while she pumped the gas, raising a questioning (though equally nihilistic (seriously those twins seemed really good at that expression)) eyebrow at Hiccup. Hiccup gave her a shrug.

"What is with that guy…?" he muttered.

.

* * *

.

"Wow!" Mary cried, face pressed eagerly against the window as she took in the rising buildings surrounding their vehicle. "Jack, look, it's like we're in New York again!"

"I can see that, Squirt." Jack called back, smiling at her wonder. Mary had always had a thing for tall buildings, though he wasn't entirely sure why. He eased his foot onto the break as he came to a stop light, noting the significantly heavier traffic they had become immersed in. It was quite the sudden shift – miles and miles of barren highway, and then suddenly a flood of vehicles almost as soon as they had arrived within city limits.

"I think this is the first time I've been to Bogsvale by car." Fishlegs spoke up beside him, smiling appreciatively. "Every other time Hiccup, Astrid and I have been, we went by bus, and we didn't go this route. This was a lot faster, too!"

"Ahah, that's great, Fish, but uh," Jack smirked at his friend and jabbed his index finger at the phone Fishlegs held tightly to. "I kinda need to know where we go from here, before the light turns green."

"Oh!" Fishlegs fumbled with the device sheepishly, for a moment forgetting his role as navigator. "Right, well, you're gonna take a right at the next street up, then continue down to Wideberth road, where we go left. The convention center where they're hosting the show is right down at the end of that road. Aaaand we should probably try to hurry," Fishlegs added as he scrolled to another menu on his phone's screen. "Hiccup says they're already here and Astrid is starting to have a nervous breakdown or something."

"Oh no!" Mary spoke up from the backseat, leaning forward between the two front seats and jerking a finger dead ahead. "Step on it, Jack!"

Her brother laughed and nodded, seeing the light switch to a bright green as traffic started to move. "Sure thing. But sit back!"

After she had complied back into a safe sitting arrangement, Jack nodded his approval and eased his way into the flow of moving vehicles, pleased to see that things weren't moving at the snail's pace he had been expecting.

Following Fishlegs' directions carefully, it wasn't long before the convention center the boy spoke of came into view, along with multitudes of dogs and their owners all milling about the general area, some entering the large building while others lingered outside and conversed with one another. Jack found himself thinking that the whole event seemed like a comic-con for dog-lovers. _Pretty appropriate that it's being held at a convention center, then,_ he thought with a chuckle. Mary was poking her head forward again, looking at all the dogs they drove past as Jack navigated through the thick stream of cars – he figured most of this traffic was likely on account of the show in the first place – and laughing excitedly.

"Looks like there's a parking lot right there." Fishlegs pointed out, and Jack frowned heavily.

"Yeah but it's like twenty bucks, Fish! That's insane, we can find a cheaper lot." he reasoned.

Fishlegs waved the comment off. "I'll pay for it. I had a feeling parking would be trouble, so I asked my mom if she'd help with that." And with a slightly smug grin, the large blonde produced a green bill from his pocket, waving it around. "And it's the closest lot! If we can afford convenience, why not go for it?"

It took a bit of arguing (and cajoling from Mary), but Jack eventually agreed to just let Fishlegs pay for the stupidly expensive parking, and it wasn't minutes later that the trio were on their feet and moving toward the convention center, Mary and Fishlegs bubbling with eager excitement while Jack simply smiled and hid his nervousness. He'd been doing that a lot lately.

He hadn't stopped feeling like the biggest idiot on the face of the planet since that dumbass stunt he pulled days prior, and every time he let his thoughts wander over to the fact that he'd be spending basically the whole day with Hiccup… he wasn't making it easy on himself. Sure, Fishlegs and Mary, and apparently Ruffnut and Tuffnut, would all be in the stands with him, but that didn't _really_ help things too much. After all, he wasn't really expecting to be striking up conversation with the twins, and knowing Fishlegs, he'd probably be really engrossed in the technical aspect of the show, possibly pointing things out to Mary as she bobbed her head (the girl always seemed interested in what Fishlegs had to say). Jack, unfortunately, lacked the confidence to say that he'd probably be too absorbed in the show to pay too much attention to Hiccup, but he hoped to be proven wrong.

Of course, _that_ thought made him furrow his brow at himself irritably. _You__** hope**__ you won't be paying any attention to Hiccup? The hell kind of thing is __**that**__ to think? _Hiccup was still his friend, right? Sure, Jack had almost done something he was very sure he was going to regret, and sure, Jack was currently dealing with certain feelings he felt were best left forgotten, but at the end of the day he still wanted to be _friends_ with Hiccup, didn't he?

He frowned. _Of course I do._

The problem was that that wasn't _all_ he wanted anymore, and he knew it. And _knowing_ that was enough to remind him why everything was probably ruined now. Not just because of his own issues, but simply because he was quite certain that Hiccup had _not_ just gone home and forgotten about the incident. The two had barely spent any time together or communicated at all over the past couple of days, and every time they _did_ there was just something incredibly awkward about it. It wasn't natural. It wasn't _them_. And Jack could tell that Hiccup was probably still freaked out about that almost-kiss that might have possibly happened on Wednesday if Jack hadn't gotten ahold of himself.

If only he had managed to do that a few seconds sooner, maybe they wouldn't be in this mess. Because cowardly as it seemed, Jack hadn't been able to work out any solutions to the issue at hand other than, well, _avoiding_ extended contact with Hiccup, and doing that never ceased to make him feel like a dagger was running through his heart. He hated that feeling.

He was barely paying attention as he followed Fishlegs and Mary into the foyer of the large building, both of them too lost in the sight of all of the dogs running around to pay him too much notice. Jack attempted to bring himself back to reality, seeking a diversion from these thoughts as he drank in the sight of Mary happily petting a large German Shepard some woman was kind enough to introduce to the excited girl.

"Are you already making trouble for people?" Jack asked teasingly as he approached, to which Mary stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh, it's no trouble at all!" the woman replied, laughing a bit as her dog licked Mary's face to a chorus of small giggles. "But we do need to get going now. I've got to get to the front desk for check-in."

Mary stood and thanked the woman, who smiled as she and her dog trotted off. Jack looked in the direction she was headed, the very large desk area where many of the would-be competitors seemed to be signing in, and after looking around for a moment he managed to spot a familiar blonde plait and a trademark fringe.

"Guys, Astrid's right over there."

Fishlegs followed the direction of Jack's pointing finger, having been looking around already, and sighed in relief at having spotted his friend. Mary took off immediately, running across the crowded antechamber and calling loudly to get the older girl's attention.

"Astrid!"

The blonde's somewhat widened eyes shot in Mary's direction before she smiled welcomingly. Her hands fell from her braid, where they had been worrying, and were spread wide as Mary dived in for a hug.

"Hey you!" Astrid greeted with a gentle smile, Stormfly wagging her beautiful tail beside the pair as she nosed at Mary's cheek.

Jack and Fishlegs approached moments later while Mary made protesting cries of 'Cold!' at the Collie, and she offered them her worry-tinged smile as well.

"Hey there," Jack waved, ginning. "Where's everyone else?"

"They're already inside." she replied, standing and reaching into the bag she had slung over her shoulder. She pulled three rectangular slips of paper from the back pocket and held them out to Jack. "They already started seating, so I had Hiccup go in to save a row of seats for you guys. These are your guest passes – you'll need them to get into the stands."

Jack blinked as he took the passes, nodding. Somehow it had managed to slip his mind that they probably wouldn't be allowed to just stroll right in to watch the show without some kind of ticket. "These didn't cost you, did they?" he asked, suddenly feeling as though he was imposing by being here.

Astrid shook her head. "Not much. I was entitled to four free passes because I'm competing, and the other two I got at a discount, so don't worry. Anyway," she glanced down at Stormfly, who was sitting obediently by her side and panting lightly. "It'll be another hour, maybe, before they start the show, but you guys should probably get inside. I'm gonna head to the competitors' area now that you're all here…"

Jack noted how her hand returned to the end of her tighter-than-usual plait, fiddling with it as she watched the ground.

"Hey." he called, placing a hand on her shoulder and grabbing her attention. "You're gonna do fine! Relax, alright? Stormfly looks _great_, like wow, her coat is awesome!"

"Yeah!" Mary chimed in, eager to offer her support as well. "It looks really shiny, and feels super soft!" And she pet the dog for emphasis, running her hand through long strands of fur as though they were water.

"Her teeth look good, too," Fishlegs added. "Definitely a mark of a healthy diet, the judges are gonna be impressed with that!"

Astrid's shoulders shook a touch, as though she had let out a single, silent chuckle, and she nodded. "Thanks guys. I just… I really want to do well."

"You will." Jack assured her. "We've all seen how hard you've been working. You can do this!" He offered her shoulder one more squeeze before pulling his hand away, using it to grab Mary's and pull her to his side. "We'll be inside, alright? Knock 'em dead!"

Astrid laughed. "When did you become a motivational speaker, huh?"

"Eh," he shrugged, ignoring Mary's giggles. "I just take note from all the TV shows and movies I've seen where someone gives a motivational speech."

Icy blue eyes rolled in their sockets as Astrid crossed her arms, assuming a slightly more sure posture. "Great, a recycled shpeel from a bunch of bad TV shows is going to carry me through the competition." The group shared a laugh and after a brief sigh, Astrid inclined her head. "Well, better than nothing I guess. Thanks, Jack. Hiccup could take a lesson from you, he's pretty sucky at the whole motivation thing."

The subconscious implication of speaking with Hiccup caused a very brief flash of discomfort in the white-haired teen, and he strained a smile. "Yeah, doesn't seem like the type, right?"

_"Look, I'm… I'm not good with this stuff."_

The words echoed in Jack's mind unbidden, and he coughed when Astrid fixed him with a confused expression – now was not the time to have her start asking questions. "Anyhow," he continued, looking to Fishlegs and Mary for confirmation. "We should head in. We'll be cheering for you, alright?"

"Right. Thanks." Astrid nodded again and smiled softly, some of her nerves dissipating as Mary waved her goodbyes and Jack led them toward the spectator's area.

"Alright, Stormfly." Astrid spoke to her dog, trying to put some pep into her voice, once they were gone. "Let's do this, huh?"

.

* * *

.

"You know, I really didn't figure Astrid to be the type to be into this kind of thing." Tuffnut stated blandly, leaning back in his chair with one foot propped up on the one in front of him, arms crossed lazily over his chest. He seemed altogether disinterested in this whole affair, watching the competitors down below as they prepared for action, his eyelids resting at half-mast.

"Yeah, well, keep quiet about it." Ruffnut told him, her posture almost equally lax. Though she seemed to be paying slightly more attention than her brother, keeping a lookout for Astrid and eyeing whatever it was the judges were up to as they set things up.

"Whatever."

Hiccup, seated with a few seats of distance between him and Tuffnut, cleared his throat lightly while gripping his knees. "Really, Tuff," he stated, giving the boy a serious look. "Astrid doesn't want this getting around. Please don't say anything about it."

"Would you be quiet?" Tuffnut shot back, less venom in his voice than he probably intended as he slouched further in his seat. Hiccup idly wondered if everything Tuffnut did was done lazily. "I know not to tell secrets, so shut up."

"Okay then…" Hiccup sighed back, rolling his eyes in a 'why-do-I-put-up-with-this' sort of fashion.

"I think it's right around here- Oh! Hiccup!"

Hiccup's eyes swiveled to the left toward the aisle at the sound of his name, the twins glancing over as well, to see Fishlegs waving and making his way into their seating row, Mary impishly squeezing past him as she hopped several seats to greet the brunette.

"Hi Hiccup!"

"Hey there Mary! You guys made it, huh?" he greeted the girl, glancing back at Ruffnut and Tuffnut as they took in the new arrivals. They had only just recently been made aware that they would be having company, discovering this due to the fact that Astrid was having them save their seats. Tuffnut, of course, looked unimpressed as usual, while Ruffnut merely let out a breath and turned her attention back to the competitors' area.

"Hi! I'm Mary!"

That is, until the young girl hopped over Hiccup's seat and approached the pair, eyes lit up in that wondrous way that seems to come to every child who sees a set of twins. She was aiming her smile up at Tuffnut, hands behind her back as she rocked back and forth on her feet.

"…Hi." he managed, eyeing her quizzically.

"What's your name? Are you one of Jack's friends?" she asked.

"That's Tuffnut," Hiccup said to her, waving a hand in introduction. He opted not to comment on the matter of their friendliness. "And that's-"

But Tuffnut cut him off with a scowl and a loud "I can tell her my own name!" Mary backed up slightly with mildly widened eyes, and Tuffnut dropped the scary expression and coughed, straightening up in his seat a bit. "…I'm Tuffnut." he repeated, unsure what else to say.

She laughed a bit. "Hi Tuffnut. Is that your sister?"

"Yeah, that's Ruffnut."

Ruffnut nodded at the little girl with her eyebrows raised in apparent interest.

"Wow, your names rhyme!"

"Uh, yeah, they do, I guess…"

Hiccup almost wanted to laugh. Tuffnut looked like he was totally lost regarding how to deal with children, and Ruffnut was just holding what looked very much like an amused silence. Fishlegs chose that moment to wedge past Hiccup, taking the middle seat between him and the twins while Mary continued to talk to Tuffnut. For whatever reason the child just seemed _enthralled_ with his pauses and vaguely uncomfortable reactions to her questions. Hiccup was about to laugh for real, until a familiar voice from behind reminded him of who else was, of course, present.

"Hey, kiddo, where do you wanna sit?" Jack was asking, and Hiccup couldn't help but to glance around at the boy who was standing unexpectedly near, eyeing the two remaining seats on either side of Fishlegs.

Hiccup might have entertained the hope that Mary would choose to sit between him and Fishlegs, sparing him the awkward silence he'd undoubtedly be sharing with Jack, but he could already tell what her answer was going to be. And it looked like Jack could, too.

"I wanna sit next to Tuffnut!" she called back, looking up at the twins with puppy dog eyes. "Is that okay?"

Tuffnut shrugged, glancing away while Ruffnut seemed to be holding in laughs. "Sure, I guess…" he replied. Mary did a small cheer and hopped into her chair, nestling herself comfortably between the male twin and Fishlegs.

Which, of course, left the seat between Fishlegs and Hiccup as the only one available for Jack to take. He sat quietly for a moment while Mary continued chattering and Fishlegs began looking through the small program brochure he had picked up on his way in, nodding here and there and looking excited.

Hiccup sighed. If he ever wanted things to go back to 'normal', he was going to have to make an effort.

"So you made it, huh?" he spoke up, catching Jack's attention. The other boy looked surprised to have been spoken to, but managed a somewhat-fake-sounding chuckle and nodded.

"Of course I did. Did you really doubt me?"

"A little. You definitely seem like the type to get lost just by following a straight line."

"Your words wound me, Hiccup. They cut right into my self-esteem, you know."

Hiccup quirked a small smile. This was good, they were bantering. "Hey, someone's gotta keep that big head of yours grounded. Might as well be me, right?"

"Oh, _naturally_," Jack replied, visibly relaxing a bit. "If I didn't have you to stomp all over my hopes and dreams on a daily basis, there's no _telling_ how carried away I'd get, huh?"

"Too true, Jack, too true. Which reminds me, you'll _never_ be prom queen, so you might want to drop that notion right now."

Jack snapped his fingers. "Damn."

"You two are ridiculous." Fishlegs piped up, nose still buried in his program but with an undeniably amused little grin on his face.

The two boys shared in a laugh at having been overheard, though it wasn't particularly as though they had been attempting to be quiet. Jack leaned forward in his seat and turned in Mary's direction, the girl still yammering at Tuffnut and Ruffnut, both of whom were nodding along.

"Hey, Mary, maybe you wanna give it a rest? I keep telling you about how you're gonna yak people's ears off."

"Shut up," Tuffnut replied suddenly, though there was a surprising absence of malice in his voice as he said it. Rather, it was more a plain statement as he looked at Jack. "She can talk to me, I don't care."

"See Jack?" Mary shot at her brother, smiling a cheeky grin and looking quite pleased with herself. "_Other_ people don't mind my talking!"

"Well that's nothing short of a miracle." Jack quipped, and Hiccup saw Ruffnut actually _smile_ for a moment, which was… new. Well, for Hiccup at least. He'd never seen the girl offer anything remotely close to a genuine emotion before. Other than perhaps violent glee.

"_Attention guests; the event will begin in thirty minutes. All spectators, please locate your seats if you have not yet done so. All competitors should be present in the competitors' lobby."_

"Ooh, looks like it's almost show time." Jack observed, joining Ruffnut in scouring the area below for any signs of Astrid.

"I can't wait!" Mary announced, bouncing in her seat. "I just know Astrid is gonna win! We all have to cheer really loud for her, okay?" she asked, turning her wide gaze on the five teens with a very serious expression. She was not satisfied until each of them gave her a nod.

"I'm, uh, sure she'll do great…" Tuffnut commented awkwardly, straightening up in his seat a bit as even he started to pay attention.

Hiccup smiled and made a mental note that having a child with you was a surefire way to disarm the grumpy twin. Conversation resumed at that point, and in light of the impending show time and the looming excitement, Hiccup had actually managed to temporarily forget about his worries with Jack, the two falling into their first _natural _routine in days, joking and tossing barbs back and forth and chatting with Fishlegs until the lights dimmed very abruptly, and the center arena was lit up.

The show was beginning.

.

* * *

.

"How do you think she did?" Mary asked Fishlegs, shaking his arm, though her eyes never left the arena, where Astrid was standing (looking incredibly nervous) with Stormfly, the judge that had just been inspecting her already moving on to the next contestant.

"Well, he didn't look displeased at all." Fishlegs replied, paying just as much attention.

They were already mid-way through the grooming round of the competition. Roughly twenty minutes beforehand, all of the different competitors and their dogs had come parading out into the arena, taking neat, orderly positions around its perimeter as they were introduced (the gang had made sure to cheer extra loudly when Astrid and Stormfly's names came up), and without any further delay the judges had begun their inspection, checking the various canines' states of cleanliness, health, condition, etc.

"Yeah," Ruffnut spoke up, oddly focused on the events with narrowed eyes. "The guy who looked her over. Every time he sees a dog he's not impressed with, his face doesn't change at all. He's smiling really fake. But when he sees one he likes, it looks more legit."

Tuffnut was leaned forward, elbows propped on his knees and chin resting against his bridged knuckles. He nodded along with his sister as his eyes held that same squint.

Hiccup blinked. "You noticed something like that?" he asked, a tad amazed. They weren't exactly far from the arena, but neither were they especially close.

Ruffnut simply waved the comment off and remained focused. "It's not hard, you just have to look." she stated as though it were as plain as day. "He's really liked maybe half of them so far. Astrid was one of them."

Hiccup exchanged a glance with Jack, both of them clearly surprised at this level of observation, and shrugged lightly. Who knew?

It wasn't much longer before the judges had completed their rounds of the competitors, moving back to their desks and comparing notes with one another. Many of the contestants looked a little antsy, Astrid included. Actually, she looked like she was barely holding her composure from here. It was so odd. For as long as Hiccup had known Astrid, she had always been extremely cool-headed when it came to competition. She stayed focused, sure, and didn't worry. She was a confident track star in school, and one of the gymnastics team's aces. Seeing her looking so flustered now, though, was a completely different experience.

"You're doing fine, Astrid…" he found himself muttering, trying to mentally will the confidence _he_ felt for her to reach the girl.

"_We will now be commencing the Obedience and Obstacle round."_ announced one of the judges on the PA system while several photographers in the upper rows were snapping photos of all the dogs that were presently lined up. _"All competitors, please return to the lobby while the arena is prepped for the course."_

"There's gonna be an obstacle course?" Tuffnut asked, this apparently being news to him.

Ruffnut rolled her eyes and swatted him on the back of the head, earning her a scowl. "Yes, Tuffnut, it's like the most important part."

He didn't respond, and simply kept watching.

"I'm a little worried, Hic."

Hiccup shot his eyes to his right, noting the hushed voice of Jack beside him. "Yeah?"

The boy nodded. "Look." He gestured to the various black-clad men who were moving about the arena and setting up the course. It looked much more professional and fine-tuned than the rough setup the small group of teens had managed to set up in Jack's back yard. "It's… a little different. I mean, not majorly, but yeah."

Hiccup sighed. "We knew from the getgo that we weren't going to be able to perfectly replicate everything."

"Yeah, and that's why I'm worried. The course isn't quite the same as what Stormfly is used to, and comparing the noise we were making to distract her in my back yard against _this crowd_ is like comparing a fish against a giant-ass whale."

"We just gotta believe in her, Jack." Hiccup replied, seeming resolute in his conviction. "Believe in her and she'll do just fine."

"Believe, right…" Jack muttered. Hiccup couldn't say he blamed the skepticism.

But it was easier to believe in someone else than oneself, and right now he was willing to give all of his belief to Astrid.

.

* * *

.

When the course had been set and the dogs had begun to run it, one by one, the entirety of the auditorium was filled with near constant cheers, watching as the dogs each did varyingly good jobs (some doing absolutely _excellent_ while others were only so-so), and cooing delightedly at some of the tricks and stunts the canines performed.

And when at last it was Astrid's turn to hit the stage, Jack was confident that Mary's cheers were louder than anyone else in the audience, the girl practically standing in her seat to send her support to the blonde and her collie.

And Jack had to say, for all the nerves the girl had been demonstrating earlier, she seemed to have finally managed to get a grip on herself by the time she was out in the arena, cancelling out the world around her and just focusing on Stormfly. She started with the obedience regimen, and much like she had demonstrated each day at Jack's house, Stormfly flawlessly ran through the list of commands with seeming ease. From the simple and rudimentary 'sit' to the more impressive counting commands, and of course, her signature 'tail flip' trick.

The crowd was eating it up, cheering in wowed appreciation at the _intelligence_ that was demonstrated. There had only been a few other dogs, Jack was pretty sure, that had gotten that big of a reaction, and it made him smile with renewed vigor at Astrid's chances.

"Do you hear that?" Mary exclaimed excitedly, smiling at everyone. "They love her!"

"I think she's doing really great!" Fishlegs added, sharing in the girl's excitement and applauding along with everyone else.

The twins applauded as well, and Jack was growing increasingly amused at the growing level of attention and interest that the male twin was exhibiting.

The judges were all writing what was assumed to be scoring notes while Astrid stood patiently, awaiting further instruction. Moments later, the go-ahead was given and the girl and her dog turned toward the starting line of the course.

"_As always, the clock starts as soon as you begin."_ a judge spoke into the PA, repeating the same reminder that he had given to each previous participant.

Fishlegs peeled his eyes in rapt focus, Mary curling against his side and gripping his arm as she watched just as eagerly. Astrid led Stormfly to the starting ramp, and the dog, to her credit, didn't look as confused about the course and its slight differences as Jack was worried she might. He swapped a glance with Hiccup, both of them smiling somewhat hopefully at each other before returning their gazes to the stadium. The bored expression that usually decorated both twins' faces was absent now, Ruffnut demonstrating reserved interest, mouth slightly agape, and Tuffnut leaning against the chair in front of him.

Astrid gave Stormfly a scratch, looking to be speaking to the dog quietly for a moment. And then with a wave of her hand, it began. Stormfly took off as the clock started ticking and the audience started softly cheering again. Astrid jogged alongside Stormfly as she ran up the starting ramp and sprinted across the narrow planks, much like she had done at Jack's house, her voice providing constant guidance as the dog leaped through hoops and carefully scaled the ridged inclines of yet more ramps, a test of her coordination.

For anyone to have expected perfection was a bit too optimistic, and Jack could tell there were mistakes – Stormfly snagged on a couple of the hoops as she went, and her time was already seeming slower than what her best time on the practice course had been. All the same, he added his voice to the chorus of cheers, supplying all of the support he could muster for the canine.

She was still doing remarkably well, much better than Jack had been dreading in light of the subtle differences in the course, and at the very least it certainly didn't look like she was anywhere close to the worst finishing time of any of the dogs that had competed thus far. Stormfly performed a few more graceful leaps at another hooped section, this time passing through each of them with no trouble, and her pace picked up as she bounded through the plastic tunnel section, not bothered in the slightest about having temporarily lost sight of Astrid.

She emerged to the sight of Astrid's excited face on the other side, and Astrid resumed her run as Stormfly chased, racing up a final ramp and charging across a long, slim plank without tripping or falling off, and then finished the course with a high, elegant dive over a set of hurdles, crossing the finishing line and stopping at last.

The audience erupted into more cheers, Mary screaming delightedly and Hiccup boldly shouting "Yeah!" beside the white-haired teen, eliciting a grin from him. Astrid lavished Stormfly with affection down below, scratching and petting and offering the dog some water, and what looked like bacon. She turned her gaze to the judges table as one of them announced that they would be giving their scores.

Jack held his breath, and he was almost certain that everyone else had as well, when the first judge raised their sign, a large '**8**' visible on it. He grinned. The second judge raised her sign, this one showing a '**9**'. People were applauding loudly. Two more judges raised their signs, earning Astrid one more '**8**', and another '**9**'. Finally, the fifth judge, who had already demonstrated that he was the hardest to impress of the group, held up his sign, giving the girl a '**7**'. The applause picked up all the same, and hoots and hollers were beyond plentiful. Jack had to take pride in the fact that the vast majority of the people here had never seen Astrid in their lives, and yet were cheering for her like a fan favorite. It seemed she was pleased with it as well, smiling up into crowds and hugging Stormfly tightly.

"Do you think she'll win?" Mary asked, both excited and slightly worried after seeing those scores. Other people had gotten higher than Astrid, that was for sure, but Astrid still had some good scores!

"It'll depend on the other two rounds." Ruffnut answered the girl, eyes narrowed in thought. "Just based on the obstacle course scores, she doesn't have enough. So she'll need to have scored really high in grooming and obedience."

Mary nodded at this without question, but Jack found himself exchanging another perplexed glance with Hiccup. Ruffnut hadn't really seemed the type to be very… what was the word… she didn't seem like the thinking type, he supposed, based on what he'd seen of her in his brief time in Berk, and Hiccup had never made any allusions to the contrary. In fact, the brunette boy seemed just as pleasantly surprised by the girl's observations and thoughtful remarks thus far as Jack himself was.

"I'm sure she did fine." Tuffnut also spoke up, glancing down at Mary as though trying to reassure her (and Jack had to smirk at the effort). "She was pretty cool down there, there's no way she didn't get good scores."

There were still yet more contestants who needed to take their runs, but now that Astrid had performed, the group of teens (plus one child) found that time was practically flying by now, each new performer seeming like mere blinks before they were gone (though a few particularly impressive dogs had stood out, including the nice woman with the German Shepard from earlier). Another hour had passed by the time the last contestant finished their run through the course, but it hardly felt like that long to Jack, whose heart was now beating at a quickened pace as the judges announced they were going into final deliberations, and then the winners would be announced.

As the stagehands began stripping the course down, removing the sundry items from sight, the competitors were asked to gather and line up around the arena's perimeter again, much like they had at the start of the show when they were introduced. Jack frowned as he noted Astrid's facial features, and the disappearance of the cool confidence she had briefly managed to regain during the obstacle run. She looked fretful again, nervous, and Jack found himself elbowing Hiccup lightly in the side.

"Ow! What?" Hiccup grunted out, pulling his eyes away from the stage.

"Do you see her face? She looks kinda awful."

"Yes, thank you Jack, I noticed that." Hiccup replied with an eyeroll, tossing in a retaliatory elbow nudge. "She's just nervous about the results. There's nothing we can do about it right now."

"Well," Jack responded thoughtfully, puffing up one cheek. "I wanted your opinion, actually. How well do you think she did? Think she actually has a chance of winning anything?"

Hiccup tossed a furtive look around his friend, looking to Mary who was fidgeting nervously in her seat, Fishlegs and Tuffnut both trying to soothe her (and he tried to ignore how hilarious that looked). He kept his voice low as he spoke to Jack. "I think there's a chance, yes. But I can't say for sure. But she did really well, I think, and there _is_ an honest chance that she can take something home."

Jack raised his eyebrows, somewhat relieved at Hiccup's confidence on the matter. He really wanted to believe him, knowing how important this was for Astrid. "I hope you're right. I really do."

It wasn't like _he_ didn't think Astrid had done great. Because he felt she really had! Stormfly had looked great, her coat was superb, her tricks were awesome as ever, and she was only a little tripped up by the course. But Jack certainly didn't consider himself an expert dog judge, and he really had no idea if the girl had been good _enough_. Silence hung over the now worrying group as the recess persisted, everyone eager to learn the results of the competition, and holding out silent hope for Astrid's success.

The judges finally returned to their tables a few moments later, grabbing everyone's attention as the head judge made for the center of the arena, accompanied by an assistant who bore a small tray. Colorful ribbons could be seen decorating the tray's expanse, and the head judge smiled a bright, flashy smile as she raised the microphone to her expertly colored lips.

"_I am pleased to announce that, after deliberating and tallying scores, we have settled on our winners!" _her voice boomed over the speakers, eliciting cheers from many and prompting Jack to hold his breath. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mary doing the same thing. _"First, we will be awarding the ribbons for Best Obstacle Performance!"_

The twins inched forward in their seats.

"_3__rd__ place: Norbert Harris!"_

There was applause as a man with a somewhat disheveled-looking beard and an odd look in his eye approached the judge and claimed his ribbon. Ruffnut sighed, though she hadn't expected Astrid to place in this division. Norbert, by her recollection, had one of the lower total scores, along with Astrid, so there was no way the girl was going to claim first or second place. Sure enough, the judge rattled off the remaining names, two unrelated individuals who claimed their ribbons as well among cheers from the audience, and Astrid could be seen visibly deflating, but didn't seem too surprised. Fishlegs patted Mary's head comfortingly.

"Don't worry, there's still more!" he urged.

The judge raised the microphone again after shaking the 1st Place Performer's hand, turning back to the remaining competitors. _"Next,"_ she announced, _"We'll be awarding the ribbons for Best-Groomed!"_

The judge plucked up a small piece of paper off the tray, pausing for a brief moment of suspense. _"3__rd__ Place: Eleanor Skorvich!" _More cheers as a woman emerged from the lineup to claim her ribbon, looking quite pleased. The judge shook her hand and then returned to the list. _"2__nd__ Place: Astrid Hofferson!"_

Mary practically _shrieked_ and leaped to her feet, clapping her hands together furiously while the crowd around her applauded as well. To the rest of the group's credit, they did their best to compete with Mary; each of them sprang to their feet and cheered and hollered, even the perpetually uncaring Tuffnut, who applauded and grinned challengingly, raising his fist in appreciation. Beside him, Jack could see a truly ecstatic expression on Hiccup's face, and the sight of the boy seeming so _happy and proud_ for his friend sent a familiar warmth coursing through the taller boy, and he allowed himself a small sigh in response, sure that it would go unheard amidst this racket. He shook his head then, turning back to the arena. Now was not the time to be thinking about this. In fact, he'd been doing a great job of _not_ thinking about that for the entirety of the show thus far, and he wasn't about to start now.

Astrid, down below, simply looked beside herself with shock and happiness, almost running forward with Stormfly to accept the ribbon with a sense of disbelief. The judge gave her a warm smile and shook her hand, and Astrid kneeled down to clip the ribbon onto Stormfly's collar. The collie looked incredibly pleased with this, seeming as though she very much understood the momentous prestige associated with the odd object.

When at last the applause in the auditorium had settled, and the group had returned to sitting properly, the judge resumed the award ceremony, granting the first place ribbon to a woman who had probably the fluffiest poodle Jack had ever seen in his life.

"_And now, last but certainly not least!" _the judge called, gesturing to the last set of three ribbons on the tray, the most brilliantly-colored of the lot. Jack could see Astrid eyeing them hopefully. _"The awards for Best in Show, which is a conglomerate award for the best overall competitors we had the privilege of seeing this evening! May I just say that you all performed absolutely admirably, but these three awards are for the three of you who wowed us the most in all fields!"_

Astrid scratched at Stormfly's chest soothingly, eyes focused. Mary gripped Fishlegs' arm, neither twin blinked, and Hiccup's fingers gripped his knees tightly. Jack rested a hand at Hiccup's shoulder, much as he had with Astrid earlier, and offered him a squeeze. It was a gesture he didn't put much thought into. He simply wanted to share in the boy's support for his friend. Hiccup cast a glance his way and smiled softly at the move for a moment before fixing his eyes somewhat determinedly forward again. Jack felt his cheeks flush a bit as he let go.

"_And now, our 3__rd__ Place winner for Best in Show: …Astrid Hofferson!"_

While the auditorium cheered, there was actually a brief moment of stunned silence among Astrid's group of supporters, none of them wanting to admit that their hopes hadn't been so high for this division, and now each faced with the utter amazement of the realization that _Astrid just came in third place for freakin' BEST IN SHOW. _Mary was the first, unsurprisingly, to spring to her feet once again in celebration, and the others joined her shortly afterward as they watched Astrid step forward a second time, hardly able to process the information as she graciously accepted the brilliant red ribbon and returned to the line. The judge went on to announce the other winners, both of whom had also won previous ribbons, but Jack's eyes never left Astrid. He watched as her face remained a tad blank, still digesting what had just happened, before the happiest smile he had ever seen her wear appeared on her face. Her hands were raised to her mouth, no doubt stifling a wave of euphoric laughter, and her eyes were creasing at the edges as she finally realized that she, regardless of the fact that she didn't get first place in anything, still _placed_ in her very first competition, despite having so little time to prepare.

There was pride in Jack's heart on her behalf, and he knew that everyone else had to be feeling it as well.

.

* * *

.

"_**Con-grat-yoo-lay-shuns!**_" Mary bit off each syllable distinctly as she wrapped her arms around Astrid's waist, squeezing and stamping her feet and yelling and generally making a spectacle of herself.

The competition had dismissed moments earlier, and people were milling about everywhere, some making their way out of the auditorium, others moving from the stands to find and congratulate their competing friends, much the same as Hiccup and his group were doing now. They had raced down through the throngs of people as quickly as possible, Mary exploiting her small size to her full advantage and being the first to fly at Astrid in a hug.

The others weren't far behind though, and very soon the blonde found herself beset upon by Fishlegs' ecstatic chatter and words of congratulation, followed by Jack joining Mary in hopping up and down and performing a victory cheer in her honor. Ruffnut and Tuffnut approached as well, Ruff punching Astrid lightly on the shoulder and smiling at her, and Tuffnut even managed a nod and a slight grin. Hiccup watched this with a tender smile, appreciating how Astrid's face was simply lit up like Christmas day. The girl almost looked like she might have started crying if no one was around to see it.

She spotted Hiccup then, somewhat behind the others due to his slower pace, and charged at him, wrapping her arms tightly around him and burying her face in his shoulder.

"Thank you." she spoke into his jacket with a vulnerable, soft voice, and he smiled and returned the hug as tightly as he could muster.

"For what?" he asked, chuckling lightly.

"For continually pushing me to do this. And for getting us all to build the practice course. And for just supporting me. Thank you Hiccup."

He sighed quietly. "Any time, Astrid."

Releasing him, Astrid turned back to the others and gave each and every one of them a hug as well, thanking them in turn for coming out and supporting her (Tuffnut's reaction to this was a particularly priceless blank stare), and then proceeded to show off her two shiny ribbons (one red, one green) with jubilation.

"Excuse me, Ms. Hofferson?"

Astrid whirled around at the sound of her name to spot the head judge, painted lips turned upward and hands folded in front of her. Astrid tucked a bit of hair behind her ear and smiled at her. "Yes ma'am?"

"I apologize if I am interrupting anything," the woman spoke, nodding at the girl's friends.

"Oh! It's no trouble." Astrid assured her, stepping forward. "Can I help you with something?"

Hiccup eyed the woman curiously, noting the genuinely happy expression the judge wore, as though she was just itching to blurt out whatever she wanted to say.

"Well, first, congratulations once again on your victories today! You did wonderfully."

"Thank you so much." Astrid replied, still a touch giddy.

"I wanted to ask: as I understand it, this was your first competition, was it not?"

"That's correct, ma'am, yes."

"Well, then may I say that your performance was _especially_ admirable then. First-timers don't usually place at all, let alone in two different areas! And you even managed second place for grooming! Which, incidentally, is what I wanted to talk to you about. I _must_ say, your dog's coat is absolutely stunning! I have graded many Rough Collies over the years, and _she_ stands out as one of the finest I have ever encountered."

Astrid wasn't sure how to respond to such praise, stammering out 'Thank yous' and shuffling her feet.

"May I ask about your grooming regimen?" the judge finally inquired with avid interest.

"Oh! Well, I actually used an original recipe shampoo for her coat, after researching how to do it." Astrid answered meekly, fingers moving to fiddle with her flaxen fringe. "I was a little worried about it at first, but after some tweaks it came out pretty good, I think. Oh, and I've been experimenting with what she eats, increasing her proteins and trying to splash some vegetable vitamins into her meals."

"Remarkable…" The woman was clearly impressed. "I don't think I've ever had the privilege of meeting a first-time participant who was as immersed as you already are. Have you ever considered a career in animal care and grooming?"

Astrid took a step back and blinked. Hiccup glanced over at Jack, whose eyebrows had shot straight for his hairline, and then moved his gaze to Fishlegs. The larger boy met his stare with bright, hopeful eyes.

"N-no ma'am. Er, not seriously, I mean, I never thought I'd… Well, I guess I have _thought_ about it, I just didn't figure I'd ever actually-"

The judge raised her hand gently to silence the stammering, smiling with renewed kindness as she fished through the pocket of her smart-looking vest and handed Astrid a business card. "Well, if you ask _me_, you have a lot of potential for a very promising career. If you'd like, I'd love to hear from you very soon and discuss your shampoo and food recipes. There are a lot of scholarships out there for people with your kind of talent, young lady."

Astrid took the card delicately, a huge smile breaking out upon her cheeks. "Ma'am, thank you! Thank you very much!"

The judge offered her goodbyes then and departed, having other people she needed to speak with, but left with the reminder that Astrid should certainly give her a call. It was almost too surreal, and as soon as the woman was out of sight Hiccup led the group in a new wave of cheers, congratulating Astrid on her success.

"Hey, who thinks we should celebrate!" Jack called loudly, glancing around for approval. "We should go and find a restaurant or something, come on!"

The suggestion was met with near uniform approval, through the twins exchanged glances for a moment as though worried about intruding. Astrid quickly assured them that they were "more than welcome", and "just as much a part of this now as any of us."

As the group departed from the convention center, alive with conversation and good humor, Hiccup found his gaze lingering at the back of his friend's head, taking in her laughs and smiles and _success._

And he found himself wondering if he might ever be so fortunate to have things work out for him that way. And for the first time in a long while, he was reminded of the art showcase, still looming in the future. And yet… for once, he found himself actually feeling _hopeful_ toward it.

"Hey, you okay?"

He looked up to see Jack, suddenly very near (but not quite _too_ near – there was a carefully maintained distance between the two), eyeing him curiously.

"Huh?"

Jack smirked. "You kinda had this zoned-out look on your face for a second there."

Hiccup shook his head, and a small laugh was released like the slightest puff of air. "Was just thinking about the future. Might not be so bad, you know?"

An odd expression occupied Jack's features, but he nodded along all the same. "Yeah."

Hiccup had the worrying impression that Jack didn't quite mean it.

.

* * *

.

"Tuff, I'm not eating that." Hiccup stated adamantly, eyes narrowed suspiciously at the salted, greasy, chocolate-coated piece of potato that was being shoved in his face.

Tuffnut rolled his eyes. "Come ON," he demanded. "How can you say it's not good if you don't even try it?"

"Because dipping french fries in chocolate milkshakes is illogical to the taste buds."

"Screw your logic, just eat it!"

How Hiccup found himself in this situation, with Tuffnut so insistent upon the idea that Hiccup try his bizarre french fry, certainly would have seemed baffling maybe an hour or so earlier. It was an interesting development, he'd give it that much.

Having plenty of hours to burn before they needed to head home, it was agreed upon unanimously that they'd find a nice, casual restaurant to hole up in, eat plenty of food, and generally have a good time while it would last. With the SATs coming up on Monday, everyone wanted to enjoy this trip to Bogsvale as much as they could, after all. They had found a lovely little diner before too long, thankfully lacking in heavy crowds, and it wasn't long before they had been seated at a large booth and were making merry with the free french fries the restaurant so graciously kept the table stocked with. Hiccup was surprised to find that steadily, possibly thanks to how included he'd been thus far, Tuffnut was really starting to loosen up around him. He'd stopped sending him death glares every five minutes, after all, and the more time he spent around Mary, the more pleasant his general disposition seemed to have become.

It was this pleasantness that encouraged Hiccup to speak more freely to him without worry that he'd fly off the handle over something or other that Hiccup said, and for a while it was actually working. The two actually managed to hold a small conversation, revolving around school complaints, which Jack and Astrid were quick to join in on with their own two cents. They shared laughs over common woes, and it seemed that only Fishlegs and Ruffnut didn't have any particular complaints they felt like voicing (Mary, meanwhile, lamented loudly the apparent horrors she had to look forward to when she got to high school).

And then Hiccup observed Tuffnut very casually dipping a french fry into his chocolate milk shake, and made the mistake of making a grossed out noise. This, naturally, prompted Tuffnut to immediately defend his actions, and eventually led to the predicament Hiccup was now in.

"Quit being a baby and try it!" Tuffnut was saying, leaning across the table and brandishing the food item.

Hiccup leaned further back and angled his face away, glaring at the very poorly-hidden sounds of laughter that were bubbling up from his so-called friends all around him. None of them, of course, were making any effort to try and stop the blonde boy and his disgusting french fry.

"No!" Hiccup replied petulantly, looking for all the world like a toddler that wouldn't eat his applesauce.

"Come on, Hiccup!" Mary decided to add, taking Tuffnut's side on the matter. "He's right! You can't call it gross if you never try it!"

"I don't see _you_ trying it."

"I'll do it." Jack announced easily, reaching for one of the fries in the basket and hovering it above Tuffnut's shake. "May I?"

The male twin smirked as he finally settled back into his seat, relenting on Hiccup for just a moment in light of having someone else prove his point. "Go ahead."

Hiccup watched in horror as Jack dipped the fried potato into the creamy, chocolaty, frosty beverage, gathering a thick coating of the stuff and then popping it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed.

"Hm. Not bad actually. I think I prefer my fries as they are, but still."

"_See_?" Tuffnut aimed at Hiccup.

"Still not doing it."

Astrid grinned darkly at her friend, nudging his arm. "Oh don't be such a prude, Hiccup." she admonished, grabbing a fry and imitating Jack's actions with no pause whatsoever. Hiccup stared at her.

"Come on, not you too!"

And then, apparently eager to join in on the fun, Fishlegs followed suit (hiding a grimace at the taste by forcing laughter because it would be _worth it_ to make Hiccup crack), followed by Mary (who seemed to legitimately love it), and even Ruffnut (who called all of them morons but ate the thing anyway).

And then there was Hiccup as the sole occupant of the table who hadn't eaten the milkshake fry.

"You know, this is seeming a lot like peer pressure to me, and didn't they spend all of middle school drilling it into our heads that that wasn't okay?" he observed.

"Come ooooooooooooon, Hic," Jack whined, slapping the table a few times as everyone was chuckling. "Don't you know all the _cool kids _are doing it?"

"Yeah, you wanna be _cool_, don't you Hiccup?" Astrid added.

Ruffnut then loudly pounded the table with a fist, not caring if anyone else in the restaurant heard her, and smiled challengingly at the freckled brunette. "Come on, eat the fry!" she called, pounding her first three times against the table to accompany her chants. "Eat the fry! Eat the fry!"

Jack picked up the activity quickly, joining the chant and pounding his own fist against the table with each word. Predictably, it spread like wild fire, and Hiccup found himself surrounded by five teens and a little girl who were all making a giant racket with their fists and voices, singing tauntingly at him.

"Eat the fry! Eat the fry! Eat the fry! Eat the fry!"

"Aaaaaaarrrrrrgh, fine!" Hiccup finally broke, grabbing a fry from the basket. "I'll eat the stupid fry!" And, eager as he was to get it over with, he quickly dipped the thing into Tuff's milkshake and accidentally made a slight splattery mess, but didn't care anymore. He brought it to his mouth with slight hesitation and finally bit down, chewing through the odd mix of flavors that honestly did not sit well on his pallet.

After the small cheering session had died down, Tuffnut leaned forward expectantly. "Weeeeeeeeell?"

Hiccup fixed him with a stern, sure look. "Don't like it."

Tuffnut fell back in his booth with a lopsided smile. "Whatever. You're crazy, then."

"Well that was anti-climactic." The brunette replied, rolling his eyes and finally returning his attention to the long-neglected pizza he had ordered. The laughs around the table were indication enough that the result itself hardly mattered. Hiccup found himself smirking in spite of his misgivings – the generally friendly, lively atmosphere _was_ still really nice, he had to admit.

"Jack, can I play on the claw machine?" Mary suddenly asked, pointing at the machine stationed near the front of the restaurant eagerly. She had had her eye on the thing all night.

"You know those things are money traps, right?" Fishlegs pointed out with a light smile. "It'll just eat all your quarters and won't give you a thing."

"Well not with _that_ attitude." Jack shot back, standing up from the table and grabbing Mary's hand. "Come on kiddo, we'll definitely win you something."

The girl cheered as she followed Jack out of the booth, eager to see his apparently patented claw machine technique. He swore he had an actual patent and everything.

"What do you bet they get nothing?" Ruffnut asked Astrid, watching them go.

"Eh, I'll give it 50/50. Jack gets pretty determined when it comes to making his sister happy."

Ruffnut cocked a small smile as she leaned her cheek against a fist. "Must be nice."

"I'm _right_ _here_." Tuffnut cut in, smacking his sister on the shoulder.

"Oh, what, like _you_ get really determined to make _me_ happy? All you do is give me headaches." The girl retorted, tossing a punch to the gut into the mix.

"Wow. Wow!" Tuffnut stood from the table then, apparently excusing himself to go join the Overland siblings at the machine. "Maybe if I had a sister like _her_ I'd be more willing!" he called over his shoulder haughtily.

"…Did you two just have a fight?" came Fishlegs' tentative voice.

Ruffnut glanced over at him, blinking, before smiling in a surprisingly disarming fashion. "Pft, nah, don't worry about it. That's just normal."

"Oh. O-okay then." Fishlegs replied, glancing down and away as he poked at his food.

Ruffnut cocked a brow but said nothing more, instead turning to Hiccup. "So we were 'supposed' to be at a wrestling match, right? What do we tell the folks when we get home?"

"Oh, right, right," Hiccup replied, fishing for his phone and pulling up the page he had saved earlier. He refreshed the newsfeed in his phone's browser, scrolling through and mumbling a quiet "Hang on a second…" A moment later and he raised his voice a bit louder, reading off the results. "Alright so apparently tonight's matches were: the Hairy Hooligan versus the Whispering Death, Dogsbreath the Duhbrain versus the Terrible Terror, and Madguts the Murderous versus Grimbeard the Ghastly. Jeez, these names…"

Fishlegs was laughing quietly while Astrid shrugged her shoulders. "A little more weird than even most people in Berk, I'll admit."

Hiccup nodded with a chuckle. "Anyway, the winners were the Hooligan, the Terror, and Madguts, in that order. Oh, and some highlights, in case anyone's parents asks for some details: apparently halfway through the Terror's fight, Dogsbreath got help from the Hooligan, who jumped into the ring and ambushed the Terror. But, luckily, the Whispering Death came to his rescue with a chair, and got revenge on the Hooligan for the loss he had just suffered, and the Terror ended up taking the fight after pinning Dogsbreath. So, typical WWE treachery, I guess."

Ruffnut was chortling loudly, slapping one hand on the table. "Wow, I _almost_ regret that we weren't actually watching that instead."

Astrid nodded her agreement, holding in her own laughs. "I gotta say, that would have been a hell of a show."

"You guys talking about that wrestling alibi?" Jack asked as he returned to the table, looking somewhat sullen while Mary was parading about with a brand new stuffed yak.

"Oh, wow, you actually won something." Astrid remarked, glad to see the little girl smiling.

"Well, _I_ didn't…" Jack replied and Mary laughed at him, looking at Tuffnut instead.

"It was Tuffnut! He said Jack's technique stunk, so he showed me his and won me this!"

Tuffnut looked almost like he was preening, gesturing at himself with one hand. "You were wise to seek help from the world's most expert claw…grabber…person." he finished lamely, eyebrows furrowing at the unimpressive title he'd managed to come up with before simply shrugging. "It's me."

Hiccup smirked and shook his head. "Aaaanyway, yes, Jack, I was just telling everyone about the wrestling match. Not that you really need to know about it, since North knows where you two really were."

"_You guys are liars~_" Mary sang at the table, bobbing her new toy around in front of her face as though it were dancing. "For shame, says Lulabelle the Magic Yak!"

"Yes, well, speaking of lying to parents," Ruffnut interjected with a light smile in Mary's direction, "I told our folks we'd be home by, like, twenty minutes from now. So we're already gonna be late as hell. We should probably get going, Tuff."

"Oh," her brother replied, shoulders sagging a bit. "Yeah, alright."

"I should come with." Astrid announced as she stood from the table. "I left with Ruffnut, so I'll need to go home with her unless I want dad asking weird questions."

"Awwww, you guys really have to leave?" Mary asked, Lulabelle sagging in her grip.

"'Fraid so." Astrid kneeled before the girl, giving her a bright smile and ruffling her hair. "But thank you so much for being here today, Mary, it meant a whole lot."

"Of course!" she replied, diving in for a hug. "Congratulations on your wins again! And I hope you tell your dad soon about it, because it's really important to you."

The blonde returned the embrace and rubbed a soothing circle on the girl's back, to which she squirmed happily. "Don't worry. I'm planning on it."

This caught Hiccup's attention. He met Astrid's gaze questioningly, mouth just barely agape, but she simply gave him a satisfied smile and mouthed 'talk later' at him.

"Well, it's been real," Ruffnut stated as she stood and stretched, grabbing her things, before commenting in an entirely too offhanded manner: "Today was fun. We should do something like this again some time."

Tuffnut jerked his head a couple of times, meeting no one's eyes. "Yeah, I'd be good with that. See you guys around, and stuff."

"Bye guys! Drive safe!" Fishlegs called as Astrid moved to join the twins, her leftover food already packed into a box for Stormfly, who was patiently waiting outside. "Congrats, Astrid!"

Jack and Mary returned to the now emptier booth, tossing in their extra congratulations and goodbyes as Astrid and the twins finally exited the building, waving behind them as they went.

"So, what should we do?" Jack asked of the remaining duo (not counting his sister), and counting the money Ruffnut had left on the table just to make sure she hadn't shafted them with her bill (she hadn't).

Fishlegs shrugged. "I don't have to be home till later, so I'm good to keep hanging out here for a while longer. And I guess Hiccup is riding back with us now."

"Well it's either that or walk, so yeah," Hiccup remarked. "Anyway, I told my dad I'd be back by ten, latest, so I'm good for now too."

"You know, I think I'm gonna try _my_ luck at that machine." Fishlegs decided as he stood from the table. "I wanna give it a go."

"Ooh, I wanna watch!" Mary called after him, hopping back out of the booth and following.

And then, rather abruptly, Hiccup found himself alone at the table with Jack.

And there was a thick silence.

"…Soooo." Jack was the first to speak, looking away and sipping at his beverage. He scowled at the heavily watered-down taste. He'd let that ice sit for too long…

"Yes. So." Hiccup replied, drumming the fingers of his left hand lightly against the table. Cheeks were puffed full of air and slowly deflated as he exhaled, and his eyes searched the nearby window for anything interesting.

_Oh gods, is this really what it's going to be like? _he thought, internally groaning and feeling his heartbeat pick up with distress. _Is this what's happening to our friendship? All because I just had to try and fucking kiss him…. Arrggggh!_

"Hiccup, I-"

"Jack, look-"

Having spoken at the same time, both boys paused with their mouths halfway open, and then coughed and cleared their throats, muttering and apologizing.

"Uh, you go ahead," Jack said, gesturing at Hiccup with a splayed hand.

"No, you go first," Hiccup insisted, hands moving to grip his drink so as to have something to occupy themselves with.

Jack pouted a bit, and Hiccup wanted to punch himself for finding the expression cute. Now was really _not_ the time to be thinking like that. After a pause, the boy's mouth opened, and Hiccup was equal parts eager and terrified to hear what he was planning to say.

"Jack! Fishlegs won a fish!"

If Hiccup were a lesser man, or had even an ounce less self-control, or simply if he knew he wouldn't feel horribly guilty about it afterward, he would have picked up his empty plate and chucked it right at Mary's happy little face for choosing the _worst possible moment to interrupt ever_. But alas, Hiccup's reserves of inner strength were clearly more potent, and his conscience was much stronger, and as such he refrained from doing this.

Instead, he simply forced an incredibly strained smile as Mary waved the stuffed fish around that Fishlegs had apparently just won, and tried to ignore how irritated he felt that Jack had gone right back to paying him zero attention, using his sister and Fishlegs as a newfound distraction and demanding to know how the large blonde had done it. Hiccup just let himself slouch further in his seat. He thought for a moment that he saw Jack shoot him a regretful glance, but he wasn't sure if that was just his imagination or not.

Their stay at the restaurant didn't last much longer after that, as there was a lack of much more to do, and the conversation seemed to have died out for the most part after a short while. As such, when the sky outside began to darken and the moon cast its silver glow across the landscape, the decision was made that it was finally time to return home.

.

* * *

.

The drive home was far more awkwardly quiet than Jack would have liked. But it really couldn't be helped. Mary had started to doze in the car as they drove along the monotonous highway back to Berk, the cloak of night eliminating any potential sight-seeing opportunities beyond the car windows, and Fishlegs didn't seem to have much to say either, burying his nose in his phone and apparently reading. That simply left Hiccup, who had taken the front seat this time around instead of Fishlegs, but aside from blandly reciting the GPS directions Jack needed to follow, he had said nothing else. And Jack kept being reminded of the tension between them, and how he had been interrupted from saying… saying what? What was he even planning on telling Hiccup back there at the table?

He wasn't even quite sure, himself. Maybe an apology? But to apologize would be to acknowledge out loud that it had _happened_. And he wasn't sure he really wanted to do that. He was still entertaining the vain hope that, maybe if he and Hiccup kept refusing to actually talk about it, then it'd eventually go away, forgotten by the brunette, and Hiccup could stop being so obviously weirded out with every interaction he and Jack shared. It was painfully clear how uncomfortable he was every time Jack was around lately, and it was killing the white-haired youth to know that. He just wanted things to go back to normal. Wanted to go back to before he'd almost made a move on Hiccup in the dark of his bedroom like some weirdo.

Why couldn't life have a rewind button? Or save points. He'd kill to reload from an older save right now.

In any case, after the lengthy, empty drive back, Fishlegs was dropped off first by matter of convenience, saying his quiet goodbyes while Mary still continued to nap, and Jack made quick work of getting to Hiccup's house afterward.

They idled outside for a few moments, and Jack was curious as to why Hiccup hadn't excused himself already. Instead he just sat there, hands fisting against his knees and eyes focused on his sneakers.

"…Hiccup?"

He glanced up, eyes connecting and setting a low flame burning in Jack's chest and _fucking damn it come on Jack! _This had to stop. He couldn't keep… _feeling_ this way, if he wanted things to return to business as usual. He broke the eye contact and stared ahead.

"I'll see you Monday, yeah?"

A pause.

"Yeah."

And with that monosyllabic reply, Jack heard the passenger door open and close softly. It was only then that he looked in Hiccup's direction again, just catching him looking back before he opened his front door and disappeared inside.

Fingers tightening against the leather grip of the steering wheel, Jack steadied his shoulders and tried to shove it out of his mind. The trip home flew by, the youth hardly noticing it as he placed himself on auto-pilot, and it wasn't until he was pulling up to park on the curb in front of his house that he even realized they had arrived.

"Mary, hey," he called, reaching back and nudging the girl.

She stirred after a moment, yawning and blinking away the sleep. "Oh, are we home already?"

"Yep. Come on, let's get inside."

She smiled lazily. "Carry me."

He offered her a long-suffering look that was tinged with a smile and rolled his eyes, stepping out of the car and opening up the back door. The girl had her arms spread wide expectantly, and her brother picked her up easily, resting her against his chest and nudging the door shut with his rear.

"What's with you being so sleepy? It's not even that late." he asked, rocking her a bit as they moved up the pavement towards their door.

"Long day." she answered simply. "Lots of excitement."

"Yeah, you can say that again."

"I'm really glad for Astrid."

"Me too, squirt."

"What's wrong with you and Hiccup?"

He paused, steps faltering for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"You two aren't the same. You're acting weird. Are you fighting about something?"

Jack released a shallow, humorless laugh, and the sadness in his smile went unseen by his sister with her face pressed firmly against his shoulder and arms around his neck. "I don't think I'd call it fighting."

"Then what is it?" Her questions all still held the remnants of sleep, as though she were struggling to remain conscious while she sought her answers.

"It's…" He had arrived at the door now but simply stood there beneath the golden rays of the porch light, making no move to open it. "…I dunno."

"Mm." she mumbled. "Well whatever it is needs to stop."

"Yeah, that'd be nice, kiddo, it really would."

He adjusted his grip on the girl (Yeesh, she was getting heavy!) and reached with a freed hand for the door knob, letting the wooden barrier swing open on its own after a gentle nudge from his foot.

"Ah! My children!" North called far too loudly, spotting them as they stepped inside. He placed a hand over his mouth when he spotted Mary dozing on her brother's shoulder, lowering his voice as he scooped the girl away from him. "Ahh, tiring day, eh?"

The girl chuckled and nodded, eyes staying fixed shut as she adjusted her new grip on North's wider shoulders. "Daddyyyyy, take me to beeeeeed." North shushed her lovingly, rubbing his nose against her forehead as he made for the stairs and muttered sweet Russian nothings at the girl to lull her back into dream land.

Jack waited patiently by the couch, certain North would have questions for him, and sure enough when the man returned a few moments later with his usual jolly grin, the first words out of his mouth were: "So how is car?"

Jack laughed. "It's fine, North, just as nice as when you left it with me. I was very careful."

"Good, good." North nodded approvingly, and then a mischievous glint took his eye. "I know, Jack, how nice the speeding down the road can be, ohoho. But for Mary's sake, I am glad you took it easy. Yes?"

"Yeah, of course. I wouldn't pull any dangerous maneuvers with her in the car. Now, if I was driving with _you_…"

"Ahaha! Maybe we go for a drive sometime soon, eh?"

Jack laughed again as he made for the stairs. "Yeah, North, sure thing."

"Jack, a moment more, please."

The boy halted, turning to face his adopted father somewhat wearily, though not particularly directing it at the man. "Yeah?"

"You are troubled by something. Did the show go alright? Disappointed?"

"Ah, no, nothing like that…" he replied, scratching his head. "It actually went great! Astrid landed second place in grooming _and_ third place for best in show!"

North's thick brows shot up, big blue eyes widening in captivated amazement. "_Chudesnyy!_" he exclaimed, clapping his hands together loudly as a great grin broke out on his face. "Sounds like it was worthwhile, no? Oh, am I still supposed to be, ahh, hush hush on that?"

"I think so." Jack avowed. "Though she said she was going to talk to her parents about it. One of the judges actually approached her about a scholarship or something, said something about a future in animal care. So I dunno, might not be a secret for much longer."

"More good news then! Oh, but may I ask, how much longer is that obstacle course going to be in the back yard?" the man inquired, seeming amused.

"Right, right. Sorry about that North, I'll talk to the others about getting that cleaned up as soon as possible, okay?"

"Is fine, Jack, I am in no hurry."

The large, imposing man rested his powerful hands on his hips then, giving Jack a scrutinizing look that made the boy aware that he hadn't forgotten his earlier observations about Jack being troubled by something. He waited, wondering what tactic North would pull next since the direct approach had been deflected.

"You know, Jack, I have finally caught up with work." he settled on, smirking proudly.

"Oh, really?" Jack asked, genuinely surprised and a bit pleased to hear this. North had been pretty busy basically nonstop since their arrival in Berk, having explained that the previous manager had fallen behind as it was, and then there was a four day delay to further set things back before North had taken over. "So, everything's all up to current?"

"Indeed! Which means not so many late working days for me. I was thinking, maybe we all go out on Monday, spend time as family. What do you think?"

Jack thought about it for a brief moment, as that was all it took for a soft smile to melt onto his features. "That actually sounds great, North. I'm sure Mary would love it too."

Well, that was most certainly a pleasant reaction! It was something of a step forward for Jack to willingly partake in 'family functions' that involved North, as he normally put up a bit more… resistance. North found himself wondering if Jack's new friends had been helping him to open up a little more toward him. He owed them a great bit of thanks, if so.

"Well, it is settled then. We'll go out on Monday, eat, see movie perhaps!"

"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna head up now, alright?"

North's expression fell slightly as Jack quickly turned to the stairs and dismissed himself, bidding a quick goodnight to the man. Once Jack was gone, North could only sigh, one hand resting on his belly. Something was definitely bothering his son. Something deeper than the usual dark clouds that always surrounded the boy. Those, it seemed, were actually lightening up more and more as time passed. But in their place was something new, heavier, settling over Jack like an unshakable shadow. And whatever it was, it was most definitely something bad.

The belly did not lie.

.

* * *

.

The moon hung as it always did in the dark sky, partially obscured by shadow as though it were winking knowingly at Jack, who could only stare upon its silvery surface through the glass pane of his window. His breath fogged against the chilled glass, which grew chillier still as the temperature outside dropped. Clouds had made their way into the sky, and the building storm that had been making idle threats for over a week now finally seemed as though it had had enough of its own empty promises, and was now spilling a fresh coat of dancing stars onto the small town.

Jack watched the flakes falling, a soft flurry that gradually increased in intensity with the speed of the wind. The clouds were starting to swirl, and their frozen depths were beginning to curl against the outline of the moon, promising to devour it in shadows and rob the world of its illumination, but each time the wind shifted the clouds to spiral more closely inward, another gust seemed to push them right back, determined to keep that pocket of sky open so that the moon could persist in its nightly watch.

Jack watched it battle the darkness with melancholy eyes, staring as he often did in the vain hope that maybe if he stared hard enough, the moon would somehow give him the answers he was looking for. And maybe, just this once, it was feeling generous in spite of the desperate war with the clouds it was engaged in, for staring at it eventually brought Jack into a world of introspection, and he found himself mulling over everything with a serene state of calm.

Jack was terrified of losing people. It had happened to him too often, always by circumstances he couldn't control, circumstances which made him feel powerless. And so he had decided, years ago, that he wouldn't open himself up to it anymore. If Mary and North were the only staples in his life that he could count on to always be there, then that is all he would rely on. Or at least, that had been the plan.

And yet here he was. Somehow, without him noticing it at first, he had let himself grow attached. To Fishlegs. To Astrid. Even to Gobber and Phlegma to a degree. And… Hiccup. His heart hammered in his chest as he thought about the boy, about the understanding way he spoke with Jack, about how willingly he'd opened up to him… He thought of that kind, warm smile, those witty quips, the guy's _amazing_ sense of humor, and that more-adorable-than-it-had-any-right-being way the brunette's face could morph through a thousand different expressions in the space of a second. He thought of the way that Hiccup made him feel _alive_ again, in a way that no one else had managed for a long, long time. And it scared him.

He didn't want a repeat of Jamie. The memories of that bond still haunted at the edges of his mind, and sure, there were times when he simply thought to himself _damn it, Jack, just get over it!_ But it really wasn't that simple. The boy had been the first person Jack had opened his heart to after his parents died. And they had gotten _so close_, and Jamie had meant the _world_ to him. And then that had been ripped away, all too coldly.

Jack had tried, once, to rekindle the bond. He tried calling Jamie's old home phone number. Sent him a letter, even. But as fate's cruel hand would have it, Jamie had ended up moving not long after Jack himself had. He had no way of knowing where he was now, and he had long since accepted that that was the end of it. The world simply hadn't meant for the two of them to remain together.

And to have to deal with one friend after another coming and going through his life afterward, as he was subjected to move after move… The idea of coming to depend on someone so dearly, of caring so deeply for them, of _loving them so much_…

And the ever lingering fear that they, like everyone else, would disappear.

Jack watched the snow fall, its heady flow never ceasing, the cold causing the windows to fog almost completely. But through what clarity remained he could still see the moon, and it was as though the clouds were losing their war. They had been pushed back further, and the clear space of sky through which the moon's rays continued to shine had only grown, repelling the encroaching darkness with the gentle, yet firm, light.

And Jack remembered hope. The mantra that Aster had drilled into his head, the words that Astrid had echoed to him. He remembered, in some far-gone corner of his heart, what it was like to have hope for the future again. He recalled that feeling he had had when North first adopted him and Mary, and he had finally started to accept that maybe things really _could_ be okay again, even if his parents weren't around anymore.

If Jack had to pick something to believe in, was it going to be despair, or hope? It was easier to be afraid, to be cautious. But didn't everyone always say 'No reward without risk?' ''Tis better to have lived and lost, than to have never lived at all?'

He'd heard that second one used with 'love', as well, come to think of it.

His eyes settled once more on the crook, perched as always in the corner of his room. _Jamie's Crook_. And then he scanned his belongings, finding the still unopened model that waited on his shelf. The model he had purchased because he'd wanted to build it with Hiccup. Only now, with his eyes opened as they were, did he realize that he probably had subconsciously intended for that to be a date.

He was still scared. Because hadn't Hiccup reacted badly the other night? Hadn't the awkward tension between them only grown thicker with each passing day? What was there to possibly _gain_ with this risk?

…But hadn't Hiccup had something to say to Jack tonight? Something he hadn't gotten the chance to say at all? Hadn't Hiccup yet lingered in the car when he could have simply hopped out immediately? Didn't it seem, now that Jack thought of it, like Hiccup was fighting just as hard as Jack was to pretend that things were normal when he might have thought… that maybe they weren't?

The moon kept on shining, and the moonbeams softly illuminated the box as Jack stared at it, considering his options and feeling almost like he couldn't breathe, like the ground had dropped from beneath his feet and he needed to decide now if he'd just accept the fall or try to fly. Even if trying meant the possibility of failure, and the pain that came with it, pain that would only add to the impact. But trying also meant the possibility of _succeeding_, and avoiding the fall altogether.

Did the possible reward justify the risk?

…If it was Hiccup, then yes. Of this, Jack had finally decided.

Maybe.

He rested his forehead against the cold glass again, eyes closed, and suddenly found himself laughing breathily, an airy laugh full of derision, as though he was simply making fun of himself. Ridiculing the mess he'd managed to get himself into.

"I really do love him, don't I?"

**.**

* * *

**.**

**So it would seem that the subconscious war Jack has been having with himself has finally reached a conclusion.**

**Maybe.**

**Do I really know? Well, yeah, actually, but there's more to be done before you get to find out. Hah.**

**Also, I do hope that whole last bit wasn't too philosophical or waxy or rambly.**


	10. Color Fill

**Seems like these keep taking me long periods of time to produce lately! I swear, meeting people in this fandom and getting to know them has to be the worst thing that has happened to this fic's productivity levels, haha. So much time spent talking to people, not enough time spent working.**

**Well! I'm sure you guys don't really care about all that, so all I will say is, here's chapter 10! I hope it is strongly enjoyed, and once again, thanks for all the reviews!**

**Also, this chapter's cover art is by the ever so talented Soul-Rhapsody on Tumblr. Go lavish her with praise!**

**.**

* * *

**.**

**Chapter 10**

**Color Fill**

**.**

What was it about Mondays that always made them so inherently awful? It didn't ever seem to matter what the day may or may not hold in store for the wayward souls that stumbled through life, the general consensus was always to be that Mondays were terrible, regardless. In Hiccup's experience, he determined that this rule held true for him as well, and had consistently done so starting with middle school. But _today_, at least, he had a very valid reason to give anyone who might have asked why this Monday was going to be awful.

Tests.

That single word was all the explanation that could possibly be required. As Hiccup walked steadily along his normal school-bound route, feet sloshing through the fresh pile of snow that had painted the town a pristine white overnight, he took the private opportunity to heave what he imagined was the deepest sigh in eternity. Did he usually have trouble with the SATs? Not _particularly_, no. In fact, quite to the contrary, as Stoick had pointed out to him on Saturday, he had a habit of doing pretty well on them with a good degree of consistency. But that really didn't render the experience any more bearable.

"Who doesn't enjoy being cooped up in the same classroom all day, eyes glued to stacks upon stacks of paper?" he asked himself in a bland tone of voice, mustering a half-hearted glare at the sky that continued to lazily drop specks of crystallized silver. "Surely not I. It's just all kinds of _delightful_."

Adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder, he released a frost-clouded breath as he kept up his trek, starting to see other students coming into view up ahead as the school loomed ever closer. There was, of course, the other reason he was less-than-enthused with today. All testing took place in the students' homeroom classes. Hiccup was used to not having anyone he really associated with in his first period, and it had never bothered him before. But now he had the looming promise that he'd be spending several hours a day, all week, cooped up in the same classroom as Jack.

He glowered at nothing. Considering the way the two of them had been acting around each other lately, he was fairly sure that he'd rather be in a class where he knew no one than share one with somebody whom he was apparently at odds with. He had thought (hoped, more like) that the day spent together at Astrid's dog show might have possibly mollified their situation, but Jack's actions at the end of that night… Hiccup shook his head and growled very quietly to himself. It didn't seem to him as though anything was changing.

Whatever the case, this sure to be _fun-filled school day_ (hardy har har) might have been a little less excruciating to deal with had Hiccup actually had a restful weekend, but in light of Astrid's show and the day of household chores his father had left for him yesterday, not to mention being left alone with his own thoughts all day long, the weekend had been anything but 'kick back and relax'.

"Hiccup!"

Ah, speaking of Astrid. He turned to glance behind him, greeted by the predictable sight of his blonde friend jogging up and waving at him. The girl was all smiles, and it was honestly a little infectious. He didn't even have it in him to be angry with her when she gave him her usual punch to the shoulder upon her arrival.

"Hey!"

He smiled and rubbed at the spot. "Good morning, milady. You're awfully chipper today."

"Pft, are you kidding?" she rolled her eyes at her friend as she fell into step beside him, sighing contentedly. "Not even these tests are going to bring me down today, Hiccup. I'm still just… gah! Charged, I guess I'd call it. I've had a couple nights to sleep on it and I can still barely believe I actually _won something_."

"Congrats on that, once again." the brunet replied, flashing a sincere grin. "I don't blame you though. You did amazing, and you should definitely be proud of your achievements. Oh!" He perked up slightly, bringing a fist down onto his palm. "I didn't really get a chance to talk to you yesterday, but did you do anything with that judge's business card?"

Astrid's grin only brightened when she nodded an affirmative. "Called her yesterday, after heading out of the house for a bit. She talked to me for like an hour about all of these career options I could have available to me if I wanted to pursue them, recommending schools I could look into and scholarships to look at! I didn't even know there were so many possibilities in animal care, it was kind of overwhelming. Oh, this was after I talked to her more about how I'd trained Stormfly and how much I've actually really been into all this…" she explained, growing a tad sheepish for reasons Hiccup was unsure of. "Anyway, she actually said she'd like an opportunity to sample that shampoo I made, so that could be going somewhere too!"

"Wow, that's… that's really great, Astrid!" Hiccup tried to keep his enthusiasm high. Being in one of his 'moods' had a habit of detrimentally affecting the way he interacted with others, and he really didn't want to bring Astrid down right now. But, perceptive as she was when it came to him (damn her), she seemed to notice how his heart wasn't entirely into the cheering. Noting the slightly more dull tenor of his voice was probably fairly easy, too.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked, her own chipper air dropping just slightly as she furrowed her brow at him. "You seem a little down."

"Ah, just stress." Hiccup quickly answered, which wasn't at all untruthful, really. "You know how it is." And he hoped she'd take that to mean he was referring to testing.

She nodded slowly, and made of hum of agreement. "Yeah, I hear you. It's not going to be any fun today, regardless of any good stuff I have to think about." She then sighed rather dramatically, rolling her shoulders in a big display. "A whole day of math and science. Groan, Hiccup. Groan."

"Ehhhh," Hiccup shrugged. "The subject matter doesn't bug me too much. It's mostly just the very act of taking a test for that many hours."

"Talk about mentally exhausting." Astrid agreed. She then brightened back up as the two approached the school's entrance, steering clear of the other milling students. "Hey! Why don't we all hang out after school today? After the hell we're about to endure, it'll be a nice to take a breather."

The brunet smiled and inclined his head, casting his gaze back over to the front doors where he and Astrid would be parting ways in a moment. "That sounds like a plan to me. I'll see you at lunch, alright? Definitely can't afford to be late on test day, Anna won't let me hear the end of it."

The girl chuckled and bid him good luck, stepping over the threshold with him and offering a wave when she turned down the hall toward her classroom. Hiccup followed suit, steering himself on auto-pilot toward the place he least wanted to be right now and almost laughing at the absolutely miserable expressions the students around him were all wearing. The only thing that stopped him was the reminder that he was going to be sharing in their awful fate.

Anna offered him a delicate wave of her fingers upon his arrival in her classroom, marking him present on her role sheet before returning to organizing the stacks of test books and answer keys she had set out on her desk. The thickness of the books made Hiccup want to cry, honestly.

_This just keeps getting better and better,_ he thought. _Were they that big last year? I'm pretty sure they weren't. No, yeah, it looks to me like they're maybe twice as large. That totally isn't an exaggeration. Jack was right; I think they really are trying to kill us here._

A rueful smile curved his lips as he plopped down into his desk, remembering the 'simpler times' when he and Jack could simply pass notes back and forth with no worries of a social faux pas hanging between them. Emerald pools wandered the slowly-filling classroom lazily, simply waiting for the bell to ring and signal the beginning of their torturous test period, until they happened to land on the door and caught sight of Jack, just as he was entering the room. The white-haired boy's eyes performed a quick search around before landing on Hiccup, and much to the brunet's surprise, Jack _smiled and waved_ at him, completely openly and like there was absolutely nothing wrong.

He blinked. If there was one thing he'd figured out, it was that Jack was not a great actor, and he had made his discomfort with Hiccup over the last several days plainly evident in his stilted social gestures and occasionally with outright avoidance. To have him greeting him so enthusiastically seemed strange in light of that, but by no means was it unwelcome.

Hiccup's lips tugged at the corners and he returned the wave from his seat, which caused the other boy's grin to vivify further, followed by him winking in Hiccup's direction. He then proceeded to stroll right toward his desk near the back of the class at an easy pace, leaving Hiccup to ponder the hard-hitting questions, such as: _Did he just freakin' wink at me?_

Well. Something certainly seemed different.

The bell rang not long afterward, and almost immediately Anna was standing before the class with her arms loaded up with test booklets, beaming and greeting the class in an entirely-too-happy manner, given the occasion. They collectively groaned a reply, some voices sticking out more than others about how it most certainly was _not_ a good morning, but Anna chose to ignore it.

"Alright guys! Today is day one of math and science testing! We'll start with the math portion of the test, till 9:20, and then we'll have ourselves- hey, stop groaning and pay attention!"

She was actually giggling a bit as she handed out the test books and answer keys, and Hiccup wondered if perhaps a part of her was enjoying her students' misery over this situation. Somehow, he wouldn't put it past her.

.

* * *

.

If there was one thing that Jack was certain of, it was that he absolutely _abhorred_ math. School in general could be kind of dull, sure, but he never really considered himself bad at most subjects. He was a fairly intelligent guy, even if academics still weren't really his passion by any stretch of the word. But math. Wow, just. Fuck math.

He repressed a groan (even though it would have been really nice to break the too silent atmosphere in the class) and nibbled at his eraser, vaguely wishing he had one of those edible pens he'd seen online, and stared at the same question he'd been staring at for the last four minutes. It seemed that no matter how he willed the numbers to make sense and to work themselves out, they would not heed his will.

Impudent numbers.

Really though, it didn't help that his attention was hardly focused on the test. See, while other students (or, most of them, at least) seemed to be doing the responsible thing and working diligently, Jack was letting his thoughts wander repeatedly to a certain freckled teenager with a shaggy head of auburn hair.

He had taken a deep breath before entering the classroom when he'd arrived, forced himself to relax, and then given Hiccup the same cheery greeting he was pretty sure he'd have given if their situation had been normal. And to his surprise and satisfaction, Hiccup hadn't made a point of looking away or avoiding communication. No, if anything, he'd seemed _pleased_ to have Jack greet him in that fashion, if perhaps a little confused.

That was a good sign as far as Jack was concerned. He'd been racking his mind all day yesterday about how he was going to handle things with Hiccup now that… well, now that he had a new perspective on things. One thing he knew for sure was that above all he wanted Hiccup's friendship back, and he was determined to bridge that gap that had formed between them. He just needed to figure out _how_. Though really, it seemed like a silly thing to worry about in the end, so he ended up determining that he should just test the waters and be himself again. That had worked back when they first met, hadn't it? It really should have been very simple.

Of course, there was still also the matter of his recently realized feelings. His shoulders slumped as he absently chose an answer at random to bubble in on his answer key, having stopped caring about actually getting the problem right. He was clearly too busy to think about math at the moment, and this test needed to just _respect_ that. Twirling his pencil between deft fingers, he tapped a tiny beat against his desk with the eraser, eyebrows furrowing as he revisited this little mental dilemma. Was he seriously going to tell Hiccup how he felt? …Eventually?

Sure, he'd decided that Hiccup was probably worth the risk, once he'd actually thought about it for a long time, but it was far, far easier to make that decision when you weren't setting a few desks away from the guy in a quiet classroom, stealing glances at the back of his stupid, distracting head. He wanted to groan again. What was he thinking? He couldn't just outright _tell_ Hiccup, not with their friendship where it was at the moment! That'd just be weird.

So… later? Yes, later worked. First priority was fixing things between them. And _then_ Jack could tell him about his feelings. Maybe. Oh hell, what was he even doing!? This was never going to work, he might as well just throw himself out the window or somethi-

"Alright guys! Break time!"

Anna's sudden announcement cut across the silence like a knife and caused several students in the classroom to jump in their seats, before a collective sigh was breathed. Jack joined them in their relief until he glanced down at his answer key.

"Oh, perfect," he mumbled. "Over an hour of testing and I'm not even half way done yet."

Anna was humming jauntily as she danced through the class, handing out snack items to her students from a large box she carried in her arms, much to the delight of the teens who began to tear into the treats without pause. Jack smiled eagerly when she approached his desk, incredibly pleased when she dropped a back of potato chips in front of him, alongside a granola bar and a pack of mints ("They've got trace amounts of fluoride!" she chimed).

"Alright everyone, twenty minutes!" she informed with a bright grin. "Then it's back to the test. Now feel free to talk amongst yourselves, but turn your tests over! _And if I see one sheet turned face-up…!_"

Jack had happily complied already, not having any particular urge to look at his test any further right now. Besides, he was far more occupied watching everyone mill around to talk with their friends in the class, wondering if he should follow suit.

_What are you thinking, of course you should!_ he urged, shaking his head. _You're supposed to be trying, Jack, come on._

And so, with trepidation hid carefully behind a sprightly mask, Jack gathered up his snack items and wandered over to Hiccup's desk, whose occupant was presently ripping into his chips.

"Hiccuuuup," Jack whined as he approached, leaning against the adjacent wall and closing his eyes dramatically. "This test is _awful_. Are we seriously doing this all day?"

The brunet once again seemed surprised to have been approached by Jack (not that Jack was sneakily trying to gauge his reaction or anything), but after a short-lived pause, aimed a playful smile up at his friend. "Yep. Aaaaaall day, Jack. I hope you have life insurance."

"Can you notify my next of kin, should I pass?" the pale teen asked, giggling slightly.

Hiccup nodded. "Of course, but only if I get half your stuff."

"Psh, whaaaat?" Jack aimed a shallow glare at his friend, teeth peeking past his upper lip as it gave way to a smile. "And why should you get half my stuff? What if I want to be buried with it?"

Hiccup laughed. "Well we _were_ married at one point, weren't we?"

Jack wanted simultaneously to laugh at Hiccup for bringing up _that_ old joke, and to frown at the brief flash of panic he saw on the brunet's face. Clearly, it hadn't been something Hiccup had intended to spit out. And Jack had to wonder, now that he thought about it – had that just been a joke, back then? Sure, he'd only known Hiccup for a few days at that time, but he had also just discovered that he was as dense as they came (and in serious denial for a while) about the whole… emotional, romance-y aspects. He found himself looking back on their previous interactions now, and wondering if he'd been intentionally flirting without realizing it.

"You make a good point," Jack acknowledged, speaking quickly before Hiccup could have a chance to worry about what he'd said. "I _guess_ you can have half my stuff if this test kills me. Even if you do make a crappy husband."

The way Hiccup's face relaxed elicited relief in Jack. He didn't care in the slightest that his statement had just earned a weird look from one of his nearby classmates (Hiccup did not seem to have noticed it, thankfully), as long as Hiccup stayed comfortable.

"Says you." the brunet replied with a smirk. "But I think you just make a crappy wife."

"You insult a maiden's honor, Hiccup!" Jack glared again, and put on a haughty air.

Hiccup finally broke into a small fit of laughs, calling Jack a moron under his breath, and Jack took the opportunity to grin again and steal some of the other boy's chips. There was predictably a small argument, but it hardly mattered. For the first time in days, things felt like they were almost normal again, and that's all that mattered. It seemed like as long as Jack was friendly and normal and, well, _happy_, Hiccup was perfectly fine. And seeing that made Jack start to ponder… had it really just been _him_ who'd been making it awkward this entire time?

Of course, things still couldn't be completely normal. Hiccup still seemed sort of, well, _guarded_, even if he _was _loosening up, after all. And besides that, as long as Jack now found himself noticing how pretty he thought Hiccup's smile was, or how nice his laugh sounded in his ears, or was able to recognize that warmth he felt in his chest as the two finally talked and insulted each other again like they always did, things really couldn't be _normal_ ever again. Of course, maybe that wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

And he couldn't help but wonder… If he'd been the cause of the weirdness between them this whole time, as he was beginning to suspect, did that mean that Hiccup would have been just fine with what had _almost_ happened that night, if only Jack hadn't freaked out about it?

Perhaps now might not be the best time to try and figure out what that might mean. But it was certainly a new source of pabulum in the already hectic train of thought which occupied Jack's every waking moment.

.

* * *

.

"Please, someone kill me now." Astrid begged, face down on the lunch table and arms splayed out in front of her. Hiccup chuckled. It looked like Astrid's irrepressible mood from this morning had been dampened significantly after a few hours of testing.

"How do you wanna go out?" Ruffnut asked lazily, her chin resting in her palm as she stared off into space. Hiccup had only been mildly surprised when he had found her sitting at their table upon his arrival with Jack, but somehow it didn't strike him as unnatural.

"Axe to the face." Astrid responded, and Ruffnut shook her head.

"I can't do that, my axe is at home."

"Then what good are you?" the other blonde whined, sitting up and sighing. The two girls shared a small laugh afterward, followed with a yawn. "Anyway, how's it treating you guys?" she asked, directing her attention to the three boys at the table.

"No complaints here." Fishlegs chuckled, to no one's surprise.

"I'm managing." Hiccup added.

Jack chose not to respond, and instead imitated Astrid by dropping his head down onto the table. He shaped his fingers into a gun and pressed them against the side of his head, pulling the 'trigger' and affecting the sound of a gunshot with his lips.

"Wow, called it." Ruffnut observed, laughing.

"And what about you?" Fishlegs asked, eyes unnaturally bright compared to how tired everyone else looked.

Ruffnut shrugged. "It's pretty easy, honestly. Math doesn't bug me."

Hiccup blinked at the casual answer; the girl's face hadn't lifted from its neutral, bored expression, as though claiming she found the math tests easy was an everyday thing. Fishlegs seemed just as surprised (and weirdly happy, Hiccup noted), leaning forward in his seat a bit.

"Really? I thought I was the only one!"

Ruffnut took in his excitement with a mildly amused smirk, sitting up a little straighter. "I'm not about to start bonding over math, Fishlegs."

"O-oh, yeah, of course." Fishlegs replied quickly, suddenly seeming embarrassed as he glanced down. "I didn't mean, uh, that, I was just,"

Ruffnut chuckled into her hand, shaking her head. "Stop stammering, weirdo, you're making it worse."

Fishlegs's face colored an impressive scarlet as Ruffnut chortled good-humoredly, delighting in the larger boy's discomfiture. Hiccup watched with an amused smirk, quietly wondering why Fishlegs seemed so spastic lately. Jack chose this moment to lift his face from the table and glare at his lunch tray.

"I should have brought some food from home." he observed, calling all attention onto him. "This stuff is garbage and we still have three hours of science testing ahead. How am I supposed to function on… this?" he asked, stirring his spork in the strange bean paste that occupied one of the slots on his tray. What even _was_ this stuff, really?

Astrid laughed at him and tossed a soggy french fry into the dip, watching it sink slowly as though the stuff was quicksand. Jack found the sight incredibly unappetizing.

"Oh! I almost forgot–" the girl suddenly announced, eyes brightening. "I was telling Hiccup this morning that we should do something after school. Get some decent food, maybe. You know, treat ourselves after a long day of tests."

"Iiii'm gonna have to say no," Ruffnut answered with a sigh. "Today I kind of just feel like going home and vegetating."

"Yeah, and I've got plans with my family after school anyway." Jack added, exhaling.

Hiccup was silently relieved. He was still trying to make sense of Jack's sudden change in behavior in class, and he wasn't entirely sure he was up to having an outing with him so soon. So he simply nodded and offered agreement.

"Yeah, I'm with Ruff, not really feeling it today."

Fishlegs seemed to deflate beside him and Astrid fixed him with a quizzical look – ah, that's right, he had already told her this morning that he thought it was a _good_ idea… Well, he was allowed to change his mind, right?

"But," Ruffnut cut in, yawning. "Maybe we can do something later this week. I can even drag my brother along."

"Later works for me." Jack told her with a lazy smile, and Astrid nodded her assent as well.

"Sounds good!" Fishlegs added, a bit too excitedly, and Hiccup gave him another questioning glance. No one else seemed to be calling any attention to the blond's high-strung nature, though, and he wasn't about to be the first.

.

* * *

.

The crunch of snow underfoot seemed incredibly damp and muffled in the heavy atmosphere, stifled by the blanket of deepest chill that hung in the air and drowned out the sun in a sea of grey. The sound reverberated quietly, as though making an effort to avoid shattering the peace of the otherwise still air, an untouched haven of snow and rime that was oh so graciously allowing these two mortals to stroll about its expanse. Even if one of them was choosing to look with disinterest at nature's gift.

"Is it _still_ snowing?" Astrid asked, staring at the sky and watching the persistent stars of ice that continued to fall, though in significantly lesser numbers than this morning.

"You're surprised by this?" Hiccup asked rhetorically, eyeing the snow-caked buildings around him which seemed to have only succeeded in digging out their front doors. They'd had quite the blizzard over the weekend, and the plows were clearly having a slow day.

"I really shouldn't be. I keep forgetting it's already the middle of December. Time sure is a thing, huh?"

Hiccup snickered. "Yes, Astrid, time is certainly a thing."

"How was the science block?" she asked, shifting the subject as they walked in silence. She took a deep breath of the cold air, nestling herself deeper into her thick coat with a pleasant smile as she did so.

"Better than math, but only by a little. Didn't have to think quite as hard. I think Jack got along a lot better with it than he did with math, too."

"He was pretty obvious about hating math." Astrid agreed, nodding. Her expression turned thoughtful. "So… are you gonna tell me what's been up with you two?"

Hiccup felt a sudden tight feeling in his chest and a resounding 'Uh oh' echoed in his head. "What do you mean?" he tried, sounding casual.

The girl sighed. "Hiccup, come on, don't play this game today. You guys have been really weird with each other since last week, and I've been a little too busy to really think about it. But I can tell it's _still_ going on, and I think it's about time you spilled."

Hiccup very seriously contemplated trying to deflect her insinuations again, or trying to change the subject, or simply being the stubborn ass he was about it, but he'd been down this road with Astrid far too many times, especially recently. He knew she'd get her way, one way or another. It'd be less painful to just come out with it than to have her poke and prod and harass him until he finally caved.

"I'm waaaaiting." she sang smugly, knowing as well as he did that she'd get her answer.

"Fine, but I am warning you now that this comes with a heaping dose of 'I told you so'." Her eyes got a little apprehensive at that. The brunet sighed in the frozen air and closed his eyes. "Last Wednesday, after you and Fishlegs went home, Jack took me up to his room to talk."

Astrid's eyes widened slightly and Hiccup could only imagine what thoughts she had immediately produced. He chose to ignore that.

"We talked a lot about his life and what he's been through. Told me about how he and Mary came to be adopted. I'm not really gonna share that with you, so I hope you're not about to ask, by the way," he added, giving her a slightly warning glance. "Anyway, I guess we had a bonding moment over it. And that was all well and great until I tried to kiss him."

"What!" Astrid had almost shouted, clear surprise on her face.

Hiccup winced. "Can you not shout like that?" he asked, peeking through squinted eyes and making sure there weren't any bystanders about to overhear them. Astrid simply stared at him with an imploring expression, silently and urgently asking him to go on. He exhaled slowly. "Right, sooo… We hugged. It was a, you know, bonding thing, like I said. And then we pulled apart and I dunno, I just… it was all quiet and we were just kind of looking at each other. I guess I lost hold of my good senses for a minute because the next thing I know," and his voice held the tiniest traces of bitterness as he spoke, "I'm leaning up thinking, hey, now might be a good time to plant one on Jack, right? Just go for it, right?"

Astrid didn't like where this was going, and her eyebrows creased in concern as their pace slowed.

"Sure enough he's suddenly pulling back, looking at me with this wide-eyed expression like I just told him I'm the reincarnation of Jack the Ripper, and then I'm panicking, and then he's stepping away and talking about how I should be getting home. Practically shoved me out the door, Astrid. And since then, it's just been…" he sighed, shoulders slumped. "It hasn't been the same. Barely talking, never seems to want to be alone with me, all that."

Astrid couldn't believe what she was hearing. Could she really have been that far off-base? Mary had seemed so sure that Jack liked Hiccup, and frankly, watching the way the two interacted, Astrid found it so incredibly unlikely that Jack could have reacted that way, and yet…

She'd seen them acting distant with each other with her own two eyes, after all. She could practically feel Hiccup's promised 'I told you so' rolling off the boy in waves. Crap, he was probably resenting her now, wasn't he? What was she supposed to do? Sympathetic pats or hugs probably wouldn't make him feel any better about it right now.

"But…"

She lifted her gaze from her feet, hearing a twinge of something hopeful in the word as Hiccup spoke again, his face twisted in slight confusion as though he were working out one of his blueprints in his head.

"Today, he… I dunno. It was different. He was acting like himself again." Hiccup explained, hesitantly. "He smiled, waved, and during our break periods during the test he came right over and talked to me like nothing had ever happened, and it felt kind of natural again. Something still seems off but, I guess things might be going back to normal? We can just forget this ever happened. Maybe."

But this was planting new ideas in Astrid's head, lending to what she knew about Jack that perhaps Hiccup still did not. He'd been distant and unfriendly for a few days, but was now suddenly back to his old self? After Hiccup had apparently attempted to kiss him? Astrid didn't want to be stupidly optimistic – she knew better than to do that – but even so, this was her best friend's happiness, here, and she was suddenly catching the inclination that maybe Jack hadn't been so mortified over Hiccup's attempt as the brunet seemed to think he had been. Remembering how Jack had opened up and confessed to being frightened of having to move again, and what Mary had said about his hesitance towards becoming close with new people, Astrid was struck with a new possible reasoning for Jack's actions.

Maybe he'd just been scared.

"And you didn't initiate anything?" she asked, just to be sure. "He just approached you on his own and started being friendly again?"

Hiccup rolled his eyes. "I suppose you're going to reach for some explanation that leads me to believe I still have a chance now?"

"Hiccup, all I'm saying is that-"

"Astrid, stop." the boy snapped, fists clenching. The abrupt harshness in the command halted the girl in her tracks, blinking in a startled fashion at her friend. His posture slackened afterward, voice evening out. "Please."

"Hiccup…"

"I don't need, nor do I want, for you to keep trying to plant these ideas in my head, alright? I was shot down, Astrid, that's the plain truth of it. If Jack is being himself again it's because the gods have decided to have mercy and let me still keep him as a friend. And you know what? I'm _good_ with that. I'm not going to risk screwing this up again if he's so willing to move past it. So please, Astrid. Stop it. I'm done, alright?"

She was frowning, and he hated the pitying look she was sending him. He already felt enough despair over the situation as it was, and he didn't need Astrid adding to that with her own distressed sympathies. She didn't seem to know what to say anymore.

She cleared her throat softly and started walking at a steadier pace again, voice slightly shaky as she spoke. "Let's go get something at Gobber's, yeah?"

Hiccup nodded, expression still despondent. "Yeah."

As the two walked in a now tense silence, one wrapped in guilt and the other in sorrow, all Astrid could think about now was that one way or another, she needed to find a way to make this right. Even if that meant breaking her promise to Mary and meddling directly in this affair.

.

* * *

.

By day two, the tests had not gotten any less stressful or easier. Not for Jack, anyhow, still stuck as he was on far too many of these accursed equations with their nonsensical numbers and plagued with the constant internal questions of 'why the hell do I need to know this stuff?' Fingers fisted in white strands as he glared at the test booklet, pencil tapping impatiently against it while he pouted. At least this was the last day for the math testing. He figured he'd do much better once they moved on to a new subject.

Anna's announcement that it was time for their first break period was a beautiful song of relief in the blue-eyed teen's ears, and he wasted no time in flipping his test over and _slamming_ it onto his desk with outright malice. Man, did he ever hate math. But! At least it was snack time now, and he could go and mingle with Hiccup and-

His thoughts were interrupted when a brown paper bag was set on his desk, accompanied by the sound of a chair screeching across linoleum. He looked up from his desk to find Hiccup tugging his own desk up beside Jack's, a warm smile of greeting on his face that only grew when Jack actually caught a _whiff_ of what was in that paper bag. He was sure his eyes must have gotten pretty wide, because Hiccup looked like he wanted to laugh.

"You didn't." Jack said, though his grin was all-consuming as he hastily opened up the bag and gazed inside. "_You did._"

"I was over there yesterday," Hiccup explained, shrugging. "And I figured they'd make great snacks for the testing days. Also knew you'd want some."

Jack tugged a delicious, beautiful, flaky pastry from the bag, not sparing a care in the world for the fact that it wasn't hot and simply looked upon Hiccup with adoring eyes. "You are a saint, Hic. This is the greatest gift you could have given me."

Hiccup wasn't sure if he should laugh at the remark or be concerned with how sincerely Jack seemed to mean that. Did meat pastries really mean that much to him? Goodness gracious. He decided to laugh, regardless. "Well, you're welcome. Phlegma sends her regards."

Jack was nodding emphatically as he took several bites out of the pie, humming appreciatively around mouthfuls and relaxing in his seat. Wow did he ever need one of these. "You know, Hiccup," he said, after swallowing half of the thing near instantly. "North took me and Mary out for a family dinner last night, and we went to that expensive restaurant you showed me."

"The Great Hall?" Hiccup asked.

"Yeah, that one. And I gotta say, their food was absolutely delicious, but you weren't kidding. I was disappointed to find that it still couldn't compare to these things right here."

Hiccup laughed as his friend reached for another meat pie, only to find a thin, elegant hand darting into the paper bag and snatching one out before him. Jack's eyes widened and he looked up to find Anna's smug face, one pastry held delicately between two fingers as she shook her head.

"Really now, you two, I go out of my way to supply you with snacks for break time, and you bring in outside food? I'd be offended if I didn't love these so much." she chastised, taking a bite of her own pasty and having a miniature moment of bliss. It was only then that Jack noticed several other students in the classroom eyeing his precious paper bag with envy.

"Is it not allowed?" he asked, smiling in what he hoped was a winning fashion in an attempt to charm the woman.

She rolled her eyes. "I won't be held responsible if anyone tries to snatch them from you, but feel free to enjoy them so long as I get to have one too!" she sang, dropping a couple bags of chips in front of the boys and moving on.

Jack immediately became more paranoid as she went, his arms wrapping protectively around the object on his desk. Hiccup laughed at him.

"Jack no one's actually gonna steal them from you. I think, anyway."

"Shhhhh," Jack replied, narrowing his eyes at his fellow classmates, whom had gone back to their own conversations and no longer paid him any mind. "I'm guarding them."

Hiccup rolled his eyes and grabbed a pie from the bag, tapping Jack on the head with it before taking a bite. "You should spend more time eating them."

Well. That seemed like a much more reasonable, and appealing, idea. Jack abandoned his protective stance over the morsels and instead went back to devouring them in earnest, sharing smiles and laughs with Hiccup over trivial matters as they ate with their mouths full like a couple of improper young lads, and Jack continually felt a warmth growing in his belly that he was sure had nothing to do with the flaky pastries. Hiccup really did have a great laugh, and the more he progressively loosened up around Jack and let those little laughs bubble out, the more enamored the taller boy was finding he grew of them. He suppressed a wistful sigh that threatened to creep out and managed to avert his gaze at the last second every time Hiccup would almost catch him just… staring.

_Holy crap, I really have it bad, don't I?_ The thought was more an acknowledgement than a question, and Jack could at least take pride in the knowledge that he'd stopped running away from that truth and could finally face it. It felt nice to do so, admittedly. Though that didn't mean he was any closer to actually putting his feelings to voice, unfortunately. The thought of _that_ left his stomach in an uncomfortable knot that put him off wanting to eat more of these delicious treats.

"So, you mentioned you guys went to dinner?" Hiccup had asked at some point near the end of their break, interest coloring the question and reflected in his posture, leaned forward as he was on his elbows, facing Jack openly.

"Oh, yeah." Jack confirmed, swallowing another mouthful and finally feeling his appetite sated. "North finally got all caught up on the workload at the station, so his work days are ending earlier now. He wanted us to celebrate."

"Yeah? Had a, uh, good time then?" the brunet asked with a shrug, as though searching for a way to perpetuate the conversation.

"Yes, Hiccup, we 'uh, had a good time'." Jack replied with a mocking smirk. "Mary really loved it. The family togetherness and all, we haven't had a night like that in a while."

He sighed quietly, reminded of the fact that he still hadn't gotten around to talking to Mary about the incident. Honestly he had hardly even thought about it after Wednesday, thanks largely to what had happened with Hiccup shortly after that conversation and how it had occupied the forefront of his thoughts. But as he had been enjoying his meal with his adoptive father and his little sister the night prior, the memory made its way back into his head, reminding him that after Hiccup's somewhat compelling argument, he had promised to eventually tell his sister about their past.

Of course, it obviously would not have been appropriate timing to do it last night, and even worse, the sheer happiness the girl displayed with them, so clearly pleased just to have North in her life, only made him want to reconsider the idea again. He felt glad that Hiccup hadn't brought it up again yet.

"Jaaaaack?" Hiccup asked slowly, and it was only then that the boy realized he'd sort of spaced out for a moment there, looking into Hiccup's creased expression with a sense of having a private moment shattered.

He chuckled nervously and scratched at his left earlobe. "Ah, sorry Hic, started thinking about stuff."

Hiccup looked ready to question him further on the matter, but it seemed that for once, the loathsome tests had actually decided to _help_ Jack, as Anna announced that break time was over and "if you guys don't get back to your tests and get back to work right this second…!" (She never seemed to finish her threats, but no one ever needed her to).

Hiccup seemed to shrug off whatever he had planned on asking and dragged his desk back to its normal position, leaving the leftover meat pies with Jack (he'd probably just eat them at lunch). They shared a quiet smile to serve as a brief farewell, and with that Jack finally directed his attention back to the accursed numbers that so plagued him.

He ended up being so distracted and beyond the point of caring, however, that his answers only became increasingly random as the testing period progressed. He definitely _wasn't_ trying to replicate the patterns of freckles on a certain boy's cheeks with his bubble-ins, either. Definitely not.

.

* * *

.

Gobber "The Belch" Bork sometimes wondered if he should have taken up psychiatry, or something to that effect. Odin only knew how much experience he'd managed to build over the years, acting as a listening outlet for a young Stoick when he had complaints about his brother or father and the impositions they placed on him (Gobber was probably the only man alive who knew how pressured Stoick had felt as a lad), as well as serving as wingman and advisor to a later teenaged Stoick in his wooing of the fair Valhallarama, all the way up through their adult years, where he now advised the man on matters of running the town, and of course, handling his relationship with his son. He'd long since gotten used to playing mediator for the Haddocks (including during that patch where Val used to come and complain to him because Stoick was being a bonehead about something), and he had even lent Phlegma an ear on occasion.

Really, as far as he was concerned he was perfectly qualified for the position of a psychiatrist at this point, and he almost laughed out loud at the image of him sitting in one of those cushy chairs with a notepad held in the clamp of his prosthetic, stroking his grizzled chin and asking someone 'how does tha' make ye feel?'

Of course, he refrained from doing this, as Stoick was presently sitting right there at his bar, shoulders hunched and thoughts very obviously weighed down by some heavy matter, and the surly man had a feeling that his laughter would go unappreciated by the town chief at the moment. Instead, he simply continued to stand and wait patiently, silently cleaning out mugs and humming a small sea shanty. Stoick had entered the tavern wordlessly several minutes ago, and had yet to say a word. Gobber could immediately sense a heavy atmosphere about him, and so he knew all he had to do was wait. The man would speak what was on his mind soon enough.

"How, exactly…"

Ah, there was the man's voice, just as Gobber expected. He lifted his pale blue irises and smiled in welcome, as though he had only just noticed Stoick's arrival. "Well hello there, Stoick. Somethin' on your mind?"

The other man grunted, running a hand down his thick beard in contemplation. "You two tend to be good at this sort of thing." he stated, gesturing over at Phlegma, who was across the restaurant serving some other patrons.

"And what sort of thing would that be, eh?" Gobber inquired, setting the sparkling mug down with its pristine brothers and plucking up another used one to scrub.

Stoick released a heavy breath. "You know the sort of thing."

"Ah, am I correct to assume this peartains to Heccup, then?"

The mayor nodded. "I've been doing some thinking. You know. With my brother's challenge, and… what Hiccup wants to do with his future."

"Well!" Phlegma, ever the eavesdropper, chose that moment to invite herself into the conversation as she returned with an empty platter and leaned against the bar, all of her patrons currently taken care of. "I'd say it's abou'time."

Gobber rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Phlegma. And what do ye think you're doin'? I don' recall givin' you a break."

"Well I'm takin' one." she replied carelessly, seating herself at the bar as well for a moment and fixing Stoick with a stern look. "So what exactly is the problem then, Stoick?"

Stoick blinked owlishly at the woman as he gave the matter a couple more moments of thought. "I just don't know how to bring it up. I don't know what I'm gonna do with him. He never speaks to me, even after I thought we made some progress, and every time I try to get him to say what's on his mind, he clams up and leaves the house. And I don't even know how to tell him what I want to say, because he never listens-"

"It runs in the family." Phlegma and Gobber both cut the man off rather curtly.

Stoick's speech came to a stop as he stared at the two, a mildly unpleasant look gracing his features while the two simply dared him to say they were wrong with their expressions.

"Stoick, I think the first thing I need to know," Gobber spoke up after the silence had persisted a few seconds, "is what exactly _your_ stance is on these matters. What're you plannin' on tellin' him? What do you want him to know?"

Stoick's expression was an odd mix of thoughtful and careful as he stared at his knuckles on the bar, fingers twitching for something to grip. Gobber, ever watchful, supplied him with a mug of ale near instantly. The robust man nodded a quick thank you, hands clamped around his drink, and after a sip he finally spoke. "I thought about what you said, Gobber. And I've decided that you're right – Hiccup may not want to take over for me when the time comes." A shallow laugh and a shake of the head accompanied his next words. "Or rather, I'd think it'd be a miracle if he did, given the complete lack of any interest he's ever displayed for the idea."

Phlegma nodded, silent but approving, and Gobber urged the man onward. "And?"

"And I want to know what he _does_ want to do. I want to just forget about the ridiculous challenge my brother has made, come what may from the townspeople. Hiccup is…" He paused and searched the ceiling for words, taking another swig of his beverage. "He only seems happy lately when he's off and out of the house, and away from me. And his mother wouldn't have wanted that."

"Then _tell him_ all of that, Stoick!" Phlegma urged, standing from her seat and shaking her head in exasperation. "You act like it's such an impossible task to get through to the boy, but when ye actually just came forward and spoke to him about Mildew's death, dinna that work?" she asked, hands flayed to the sides as though this was obvious.

"I know it seems difficult, Stoick." Gobber added, more firm in his tone and understanding that words had never been his friend's forte in all the years they had known each other. And understanding as well that Stoick was a lot more reserved and shy about voicing actual feelings to anyone, even his own son, than he would ever let on. "But the harpy has a point."

"Oi!" Phlegma objected with a glare. Gobber paid her no mind.

"If you want Hiccup to be open with you, ya have to be open with him." Gobber explained, voice as soft as a rude, salty Viking could manage. "He needs to hear from you," and he emphasized this with a poke at his friend's chest, "that ye want to know what he wants to do with his life, and that you're _okay_ with it."

"Ye _are_ okay with it, are ye not?" Phlegma asked, and Stoick had the impression once again that she knew something he didn't, and that she was merely holding it away from him.

He nodded regardless, shoulders slumping. "I can't pretend I won't be disappointed if he tells me he doesn't want to take my place. I will be. But…" He struggled to say these next words, words of weakness that he was apprehensive even to let his closest friends hear from him. "…but his happiness is most important, and his mother would agree. That's all I want for him." he mumbled, abashed.

Gobber smiled, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "And if that means havin' to name Snorri as the eventual successor?"

Stoick simply shrugged.

"Or, you know," Phlegma cut in, smirking. "When the time comes, we _could_ just have an actual mayoral election for a change, instead o' just namin' someone to take over."

Well there was a foreign idea. Stoick actually managed a chuckle over it.

"In any case, Stoick," Phlegma returned to a more serious demeanor, gazing into the man's eyes with an understanding in her own. "Ye need to just step forward and talk to him, and be open with him. Ye can't expect the same from him if ye can't offer it in kind. More importantly, don't just _talk_ to the boy, but _listen_. You have a problem with that."

Stoick might have glared if he didn't know in his heart of hearts that she had a point.

"Aye, and make sure he _knows_ you're listenin'." Gobber added. "Don't impose, don't force. Just listen, and let him say what he wants to say."

"He needs to know that he can actually talk to you. So don' jump in and start makin' assumptions before he's had a chance to say his piece!"

In the wake of the words of guidance from his closest confidants, Stoick could only agree, nodding along with them and almost wincing when he thought back to his last big conversation with Hiccup, and realized he'd done exactly what Phlegma had warned against. Hiccup had seemed ready to say… _something_ to him, at that time, only to be cut short, and Stoick hadn't heard a word about it since. Clarity slapped him hard in the face, and he realized that Gobber was truly right. Not listening really _did_ run in the family, apparently.

Well, no more. Stoick was determined to get to the bottom of what had been haunting his son these last weeks, and to fix the damage their relationship had seemed to endure. And he was determined to break that obstinate habit of his.

"He's in the middle of testing at school this week." Stoick stated, and Phlegma nodded satisfactorily (perhaps proud that Stoick was actually paying attention to what was going on in Hiccup's school life). "He's bound to be exhausted. I'll wait until the week is over, and then we'll have our talk."

Gobber and Phlegma nodded, finding this agreeable. They both knew that Stoick still just needed the extra few days to work up the nerve, in any case. And once again, Gobber almost wanted to laugh.

Perhaps the most intimidating man in all of Berk, capable of ripping an average man in two if he really wanted, and yet the thing that scared him more than anything? Speaking to his toothpick of a son.

.

* * *

.

A cacophony of digitized explosions, sirens, bells and whistles, gunshots, and annoying, laughing clowns. Soda-stained carpets, a million different lights, flashing and strobing, and loud teenagers making general spectacles of themselves. A smell of old cheese, and occasional flashes of body odor permeating the air. This was essentially how Hiccup would describe Berk's arcade. And it was, in his opinion, not the most entertaining place to visit. Of course he enjoyed video games – most kids his age did, and even _he_ wasn't _that_ much of an oddball – he just preferred to enjoy them in his own home, on modern consoles, in a nice, clean room.

But when tests let out on Wednesday and all anyone could talk about was how much they wanted to go and _do_ something, it seemed that Jack had finally gotten his wish, and by near-unanimous agreement (take a wild guess at who wasn't totally on-board), Hiccup was dragged along with his friends to the arcade to kill an afternoon.

Now, to be fair, he didn't totally hate it. After all, the place had games that you just couldn't enjoy on a game console, after all. Like ski ball for example, which currently had Jack's avid attention, a bright grin on his face as he tossed heavy plastic balls up the sloped lane, trying to land that coveted 1,000-Point hole. He had been absolutely _delighted_ to come here, glad to finally have both the time, and the company to enjoy it with. Seeing his happy smile, Hiccup decided he really couldn't keep objecting to the idea.

Tuffnut, whom had been dragged along by Ruffnut (as he described it, anyhow. It certainly didn't seem to Hiccup as though he had that much of a problem coming with them), was presently also engaged at the ski ball lanes, criticizing Jack's throwing technique and demonstrating his own, claiming he would win far more tickets. Hiccup had to chuckle at that; it was starting to look like the tall blond just liked competing with Jack over these kinds of things. And the white-haired boy was certainly not one to back down from a challenge.

Astrid and Ruffnut, meanwhile, were off occupying themselves on some shooter game that Hiccup didn't care to know the name of. After all, it was basically one of those standard affairs for an arcade game anyway – you point and you shoot and there really wasn't a whole lot more nuance involved than that.

Which just left Fishlegs, who was currently flailing on the 'Dance Dance Revolution' floor much to Hiccup's watchful amusement. The brunet seemed to be perfectly satisfied just watching him miss every other step and wondering why he got so into this game. Maybe it was the bouncy pop music that Fishlegs was probably a fan of.

"Oh come on Fish, how did you even miss that?" Hiccup playfully criticized as Fishlegs completely failed to notice a very slow-moving left arrow. "That thing was moving at a snail's pace."

"I was distracted by the other arrows!" he complained.

"Maybe you should try playing on a lower difficulty first." Hiccup suggested, smirking. He knew full well that Fishlegs was already on the lowest difficulty, and so did the larger blond.

His response was a mild glare before quipping, "I'd like to see _you_ try it."

Hiccup laughed. "Hey, I'm handicapped! What's your excuse?"

Fishlegs chortled at him and went back to trying to at least keep himself in the game before the digital crowd booed him off the stage. It was at this point that Ruffnut had apparently hung up her gun and headed over to their location, watching Fishlegs move with an unimpressed, though somewhat sympathetic look.

"You're doing that all wrong." she told him as she approached, Astrid in tow, gesturing downward. Fishlegs looked over at her, surprised at the sudden arrival. "You keep alternating watching the arrows and watching your feet, and there's nooooo rhythm in the way you're moving."

Hiccup repressed a giggle. This was the last thing he'd expect Ruffnut to be giving pointers at.

"Uh, there isn't?" Fishlegs asked, his character on the screen already having failed the song and leaving him looking despondent.

"Nope." Ruffnut shook her head, clearly not sugarcoating. "Here, lemme show you." And then she was hopping up onto the platform next to Fishlegs, dropping a few quarters into the coin slot and starting up the second player's screen. "You've gotta be more, you know, natural." she said, sounding completely uncaring as she proceeded to select a song for them to play. Her body started a very subtle up and down bob as the music started, her head rocking. "And you've gotta actually get into the music like you're really dancing to it. You pay too much attention to the arrows."

Hiccup cast a sideways glance at Astrid, raising one eyebrow, and she shrugged. Apparently she didn't figure this to be Ruffnut's thing either.

"I didn't know she even cared for dancing." Hiccup muttered.

"Wellll," Astrid supplied, tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth in thought. "She tends to like anything physical, now that I think of it. So I guess that'd include dancing?"

"Learn something new every day."

The two of them watched with amusement as Ruffnut kept giving Fishlegs pointers as they danced, her movements seeming very natural while his still fumbled about. But to his credit, he was trying to take her advice; his body started to move around like hers as he actually listened more closely to the beat, trying to let rhythm guide his movements instead of the methodical urge to hit every arrow that his brain supplied.

"Well well, what's going on here?" Jack asked from beside Hiccup, making the brunet jump slightly (which of course made Jack giggle at him).

"Ahahah, hey there, Jack." Hiccup greeted, noting the fistfuls of tickets in the other boy's hands. Tuffnut was approaching as well (with more tickets, from the looks of it, and Hiccup could only imagine how Jack must have claimed he was cheating somehow). "Ruffnut's teaching Fishlegs to be better at DDR, I guess."

"That's interesting." he observed, blinking.

Tuffnut rolled his eyes as he stopped to stand near them as well, though there was a mischievous grin on his face. "She's just showing off."

They continued to watch the pair until the song reached its conclusion, Ruff smiling as though she was actually having fun (a nice change from her usual bored demeanor) and offering Fishlegs a slap on the back.

"See? You weren't as useless that time. Keep it up and then maybe you can actually play me on the higher difficulties. This was waaaaay too easy." she remarked, leaning carelessly against the platform's rail.

A stream of nervous laughter bubbled up from Fishlegs, his face looking a little red under the strobing arcade lights. "Th-thanks! I'll remember that."

"I wanna play!" Jack announced, drawing their attention as he approached the platform. "Come on, who wants to go? Tuffnut?" he asked, a challenging glint in his eye.

But Tuffnut simply scoffed. "Pft! Fat chance. I'm not playing a dancing game."

"Loser." Ruffnut tossed out callously.

Fishlegs was already stepping off the platform as Jack hopped on, indicating that he was done for the moment, so Jack turned his gaze on Hiccup. "What about you, Hic? Wanna dance?"

Hiccup willed himself to ignore the mental connection his mind tried to make with that remark, and avoided thinking about the other, nicer scenarios where being asked to dance by Jack might have held an entirely different connotation.

He replied with a half-apologetic smile before lifting up his left leg. "Can't. Numb foot, remember? I'd probably end up tripping and falling up there."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you had that thing." Tuffnut mentioned, giving his leg a glance.

"I forget about it too, sometimes." was all the brunet said in response. He _had_ gotten used to it, after all. Though reminders such as this were still fairly common.

"If you want a challenge, I'm standing right here." Ruffnut offered, still standing on the other platform and giving Jack an unimpressed look.

The blue-eyed boy met the look with a cocksure smirk and turned to face the screen, inserting his coins and accepting her challenge. And just like that, the dance-off began, booming music flooding out of the speakers as Jack and Ruffnut both began to swiftly move their feet in time to the flood of arrow prompts on the screen. Hiccup hadn't been sure what to expect of Jack, but somehow he wasn't surprised that this sort of game could be his thing. He was keeping step perfectly with Ruffnut, who also seemed to be pretty damn spankin' at it, both barely missing a single step.

Astrid had started cheering for Ruffnut part way through, offering a playful laugh as she mock trash-talked Jack, and before long Fishlegs joined her, offering his encouragements to the dancing blonde. Tuffnut started booing Ruffnut shortly afterward, urging Jack to 'kick her ass!' and, feeling fair, Hiccup decided to offer his support for his friend and even out the peanut gallery.

Truth be told, he was rather enamored with the way Jack was moving. Sure, in the end it was just a lame dancing game that didn't require much body movement beyond legs, but Jack was certainly being a showman about it. He'd toss his shoulders side to side, swivel his hips, perform little hop-steps for the quicker prompts, and would even toss his arms into the mix for little more reason than, Hiccup imagined, being flashy. It was… unnervingly nice to watch him go.

Realizing he was probably staring, he tore his eyes away for a moment, glancing at his friends standing around him and noting that he'd apparently not been caught ogling the way the other boy's rear was moving around (honestly, Hiccup, have some more tact!). What he did notice, however, was that he clearly wasn't the only one staring at someone; casting a cursory glance at Fishlegs revealed that the large boy had his eyes rather firmly fixed upon Ruffnut, who was moving and dancing in a much similar manner to Jack, her eyes trained on the screen but her smile indicating her good mood. And Fishlegs was not looking _anywhere_ else.

Hiccup blinked. _Oh._

"What the hell are you guys doing?"

And then Hiccup's shoulders snapped up at the sound of a familiar voice that he had begun to hope maybe he _wouldn't_ be hearing again. But it had caught the others' attentions as well, and the twins in particular turned on the spot (Ruffnut ignoring her game) to see the face they knew would be there. Hiccup sighed at the sight of Snotlout, an irritable, disbelieving expression on his face as he looked between the two blonds and gripped the soda in his hand a bit tighter. He was accompanied by a few of the people Hiccup vaguely recognized as friends of his, though he'd never gotten the impression that they were much more than 'Yes Men' as opposed to actual friends.

"Oh. Hey Snotlout." Ruffnut was the first to greet, leaning forward onto the platform rail (her game completely forgotten by both her and Jack) and waving lazily.

"'Hey Snotlout?' That's it?" the muscular boy shot back, seeming angrier by the second.

Tuffnut was looking sheepishly at the floor, shoulders hunched, and Hiccup thought he looked a bit like a child that had gotten caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

"Is _this_ where you two have been?" Snotlout asked, tone still angry but very controlled, accusing and betrayed all at once. "With _them_?"

"Ugh, are you gonna pitch a fit?" Ruffnut asked him, seeming completely disinterested, but her tense body language indicated she was more invested in the situation than she let on.

Snotlout's friends started poking and prodding at the boy, muttering assumedly insulting things to him and getting laughs out of it; clearly they were trying to egg him on toward something. He simply shoved them back with an exasperated grunt.

"Shut up." he spat at the surprised-looking boys. "I'm going home. Don't follow me."

And with nothing further to say he stomped off, sparing a hateful glance at Hiccup before disappearing out the door and leaving his cronies confused. Ruffnut heaved an exaggerated sigh and exchanged a glance with Tuffnut.

"I'll go get him." she said, before springing over the rail and jogging out the door after her friend.

The small group of thuggish-looking boys that had been in Snotlout's company lingered as though lost, unsure of what to do in that way that sheep without a shepherd might seem. Astrid elected to ignore them as she stepped in front of her friends and cleared her throat.

"So! Who wants to grab a pizza?"

The boys all spared glances for one another, Jack shrugging at Hiccup and Fishlegs and apparently deciding not to think too heavily on what had just happened. Tuffnut glanced away though, hands shoved in his pockets and looking vaguely uncomfortable. Snotlout's friends were trickling away now, each sparing a sort of nasty look for the blond as they left, to which he replied with a sneer.

Turning back to the others, he turned his gaze down again and shrugged. "I dunno. I think maybe I should just go."

"Oh, come on," Jack urged, hopping off the dance platform and jabbing the male twin lightly in the side. "You tellin' me you don't want pizza?"

Hiccup laughed softly at the very serious and contemplative expression that graced Tuffnut's features. It seemed his appetite won out, as eventually he released a frustrated sigh, expressing as much begrudging acquiescence as he could possibly manage, before breathing out a long "Fiiiiiine."

Astrid shook her head as she laughed and started heading over toward the pizza counter. Jack shared in her laughter as he followed after her.

"Quit trying to pretend you don't like us!" he boldly called over his shoulder, earning him a scowl.

"I _don't_." Tuffnut responded hotly.

"You're full of crap." Astrid mused, sharing an amused look with Jack.

Hiccup and Fishlegs followed behind the three, shaking with their own quiet mirth. The line wasn't heavy – it very seldom was, what with the mediocre quality of pizza this arcade served – and after a few minutes of placing orders and finding themselves a table, the group of five were gathered around a large, thin (too thin, if you asked Hiccup), cheesy mess of sauce and bread and meats. A perfectly generic pepperoni pizza that the teens wasted no time in diving into, chatting and laughing and generally forgetting the woes of this week of testing.

Sadly for Hiccup, his romantic woes were another story, thanks to being wedged into their small booth right beside Jack, who felt the need to keep nudging his side whenever he made a joke. The way his leg brushed against Hiccup's was also a bit difficult for him to handle with a straight face. It was, of course, nothing short of _wonderful_ that Jack was being so friendly with him again. He really did love feeling like he had his friend back, and that stuff like being crammed up next to him didn't have to feel so awkward anymore. But that didn't mean it made Hiccup feel any more comfortable around him. If anything, his body had been choosing to remind him, more and more lately, of how attractive he found Jack to be, and as such it could be reasonably assumed that shoving himself next to the boy and eliminating most of the personal space between them was not exactly a favorable circumstance.

Distraction came, thankfully, in the form of Ruffnut returning and joining them at their table. She plopped herself down beside Astrid and wordlessly grabbed a pizza slice, munching on it thoughtfully.

"Well?" Tuffnut spoke up, eyeing his sister questioningly when the others had fallen silent.

"I'll tell you later." she replied, expression foul. Perhaps things hadn't gone so well.

"Um…" Fishlegs piped up, drumming his fingers on the table. "You didn't like, lose your friend, did you…?"

Hiccup knew that Fishlegs didn't particularly harbor any fondness for Snotlout. Not that he could blame him, of course, as his cousin had been quite the foul individual over the years. And he was rather certain that Ruffnut knew that too. Even so, Fishlegs's concern was a rather nice gesture, and it managed to quirk a very slight smile from the girl.

"Don't worry about it." she informed him, and then seemed to follow her own advice as the gloom dissipated and she reached across the table to snatch Tuffnut's half-eaten pizza slice from his plate, devouring it along with her own.

"Hey!" he cried indignantly, reaching fruitfully for it before it disappeared down the ravenous girl's gullet. "That was mine!"

"What are you gonna do about it?" she challenged.

What followed was a rather childish scuffle between the two twins that involved hair-pulling from across the table, hands shoved into cheeks, and lots of loud yelling. It earned a few extra laughs and provided an entertaining spectacle to pass the time with until it was eventually decided that it was time to head home. Tests were still a thing, unfortunately, and the desire to get some early shut-eye was a heavy one.

But as the group made their way out of the stuffy arcade and back into the chilly, early evening air of Berk, Hiccup was reminded of that ever present nagging thought he'd stuffed somewhere in the back of his mind. What exactly had been going on with Snotlout? Seeing him again today reminded him of the matter, and also made him realize it'd been the first time in weeks since he'd even heard his cousin's voice. He pursed his lips. It was definitely curious, though he wasn't entirely sure he actually cared enough to investigate. For now, at least.

.

* * *

.

"Stoick! So good to be seeing you again so soon!" North's booming greeting resounded off the walls of his office space, eyes pulled away from tinkering at… something or other, on his desk, to meet those of the broad man who had entered.

Stoick gave him a smile in response to the arcing, open sweep of North's arms and sat himself across from the other giant and his cluttered desk space.

"Always good to see you too, North." he replied with an incline of his head, gesturing at the various snow globes and wooden figurines of elves and nutcrackers decorating the table, as well as the newly repaired train set that was chugging merrily through the office. "I see you're certainly getting into the mood, eh?"

He was met with a hearty laugh and a wink. "'Tis the season to be jolly, no?"

"Yes, well, that's actually one of the reasons I've come to talk to you." Stoick clapped his hands together, eyes lighting up a bit at the avid holiday display. North seemed to be in the spirit of being 'jolly' twenty-four/seven, of course, but he was really upping his game from the looks of things. "I host a Christmas party at my home every year," the mayor explained. "And I invite family, friends, and the like. I thought I'd extend an invitation to you and your family this year."

North's eyes widened considerably, and he thrust his fist into the air in celebration of this news. "Of course! We would be happy to attend!"

"Good news, then!" Stoick replied brightly, swept up in the cheery atmosphere and North's excitement.

"You know, Stoick," North added, leaning forward onto his desk. "It is very good thing that you do this. I used to do the same thing, year after year, before I adopted my children. I tried to keep it alive in following years, but… Jack became less enthused with idea with each year. No doubt thanks to the moves…"

Stoick raised his eyebrows faintly, intrigued at receiving this sudden insight.

"I considered trying again this year, what with our new permanent home, but!" And the man brightened right back up from his previous, momentarily somber tone. "Now I see you have it covered!"

Stoick nodded with a chuckle, and decided that perhaps it was time to show the rest of his hand. North's comments just now had merely reminded him of it, after all. North seemed to detect the coming of a different matter and adopted an expectant expression, eyebrows earnestly raised in question.

"Stoick?" he tried, smirking and waving his fingers toward himself. "You have something else to say? Come on then."

This snapped Stoick out of his brief train of thought and he nodded quickly. "Ah, yes. Drinks! I wanted to invite you out for drinks." he explained, slapping a palm against North's desk in a grand gesture.

"Oho! Inviting for drinks? This is truly momentous occasion!"

"Indeed it is." Stoick replied with a hardy laugh of his own. "I thought it best to properly celebrate how Berk has caught up on its shipments, and of course, figured we could get to know each other a bit better over a brew."

Yes, that sounded perfectly reasonable enough. Stoick needn't mention that he was seeking further counsel from the other man, of course. No, that would just seem… cowardly. Of course, it wasn't as though Stoick didn't already think that himself. Here he was, two days after his promise to Gobber and Phlegma that he'd talk things out with Hiccup very soon, and already his resolve was crumbling.

It wasn't his fault, really! There were just too many… unknowns. Stoick just honestly felt that he would be better equipped to handle the upcoming conversation if he had a little bit more insight on what was going on in Hiccup's life. And who better to ask than the father of the boy he was spending all his time with lately? It was perfectly reasonable.

And besides, Stoick had been feeling a certain kinship with North since their initial meeting. The man had a similar situation with his own, apparently just as distant son, and Stoick had been growing rather sure, the more he spoke with North, that he was a man that could be trusted. Seeking some advice while they were both loosened up over a few mugs of alcohol certainly seemed to be a rational move, all things considered.

The most unnerving thing, of course, was that in spite of all of this going unsaid, there was the uncanny impression that North knew _exactly_ what was on Stoick's mind, simply by the way his piercing blue eyes searched Stoick's in a flash of questioning.

But it was over quickly, and he was still smiling with his usual cheer when he clapped a hand over his belly and decided it was a "Delightful idea!"

After all, North could always use more good friends to speak frankly with, himself.

.

* * *

.

Hiccup had to say, considering that it had been merely a week since his and Jack's awkward curtain descended upon them to throw their relationship into turmoil, the way the two were talking now? It was as though nothing had ever happened. There had never been a problem, and it seemed like the farthest thing from the brunet's mind as Jack smiled and laughed with him over a joke that probably wasn't all that funny but that Jack found hilarious regardless.

It was Thursday afternoon, the two presently in the middle of their second break period and munching happily on the snacks Anna had provided them with ("Hic can you believe this, she actually brought brownies!" "Must be a reward for the week, whoa.").

"One last stretch, that's all we gotta get through, right?" Jack was asking, face reflecting pure bliss as he ate the chocolaty confection he held between two fingers.

"Well, sort of." Hiccup replied. "There's still tomorrow, but it's just a half day, essentially. We take a sort of review test that has bits of Math, Science, History, and English on it. It's not a huge deal though."

Jack would have groaned in dismay had his mouth not been full. He swallowed after a moment and opted instead to shrug. "These things are delicious, but I still say we should head to Phlegma's and restock the pie supply for tomorrow."

"Jack," Hiccup laughed, "It's just a half day, and we only get the one break period as it is."

"You act as though I can't eat fifteen of those things in twenty minutes, Hiccup."

That point was given some thought. "Touché."

Eyeing the clock on the far wall, Jack let his shoulders slump, seeing only five minutes left in their break before they'd need to resume their tests. At least it was just history, though. History wasn't _that_ bad. "So then after Friday, what happens?"

"Well, Saturday is the official start of the winter break." Hiccup answered, stretching in his chair and releasing a small yawn. "But we've still got that last football game to film that day before ours begins, technically."

"No big." Jack observed with a lopsided grin. "I don't mind filming another game. Just don't get your ass laid out afterward, this time."

He was answered with a soft glare. "And whose fault was it that that happened, again?"

The laughing boy lifted his hands in a placating manner. "Alright, alright. Oh, and does that elective shift thing happen after that?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. You already turned in the request form like I told you to, right?" Jack nodded smartly. "Good. Then yep, starting on the Monday that we go back to school, you'll receive an updated schedule that tells you where your new class is. Assuming you got in, but I mean, it's Home Ec. Hardly anyone in this school does Home Ec, according to Anna, so there's basically no way there won't be spots available."

"_Basically_ no way, or _actually_ no way?" Jack asked, mild worry creasing his eyes.

"It'll be _fine_ Jack, relax. I'm pretty sure there's only like twelve kids taking that class right now anyway."

They lapsed into a cozy silence after that, letting the background chatter of students fill their heads as the minutes gradually ticked away. Almost time to get back to work…

"Christmas is coming up, you know." Jack stated, casually.

Hiccup glanced back over at his friend. "…Yeah." It wasn't as though he hadn't thought about it. But aside from the party his father threw in the evening, Christmas had never really been a huge spectacle in their house. He'd wake up to a gift or two and that was it for the excitement until night fell.

Of course, he'd usually make sure to get presents for his closest friends. But this year… This year he'd been a bit distracted, in spite of his father promising to erect a fresh Christmas tree in the house soon, just the other day (he'd probably be decorating it sometime next week). And now he found himself wondering just what he could get for Jack, a slight smile curving his lips.

"What's that look for?" Jack asked, though his sly expression belied the feigned ignorance.

"No reason." The brunet replied, batting his eyes in a show of exaggerated innocence. "My dad holds a Christmas Party every year, though. Guess I forgot to mention that."

"I get to come, right?" Jack asked hopefully.

"No."

The look on the other boy's face indicated he had taken Hiccup seriously for maybe a second before he started laughing.

"I'll just crash the party, you know."

"Oh I'm sure you will."

"So you might as well invite me."

"If I _must_."

"Alright guys, test time! Come on, we can do it!" Anna announced from the class front, happily ignoring the sighs from the class.

Jack and Hiccup exchanged another pair of matching, warm grins before the taller boy stood and dragged his feet back to his own desk, leaving his companion to sit with a warm sensation in the core of his chest that threatened to make him forget that he apparently had no chance with Jack.

It was incredibly confusing.

.

* * *

.

Oddly enough, the remainder of the dreaded tests seemed to pass in a flash, Friday coming and going and leaving a gaggle of six happy teenagers to converse animatedly with one another over lunch, all expressing how happy they were to finally be done with the last of their horrid exams.

"This was probably the most boring week of my life yet." Astrid lamented, chewing on a soggy cafeteria cheeseburger with hardly a care in the world. "So glad it's over."

"It _was_ pretty boring." Fishlegs agreed, though offering a cheeky grin. "But at least _I_ didn't have a hard time with any of the tests."

"Oh shut up, Fishlegs." Astrid fired back, ignoring the way Ruffnut joined the boy in his laughter at Astrid's expense.

"You brainiacs are fucking crazy." Tuffnut bluntly added (and no, no one appeared to be making any kind of big deal at this point that he had joined them for lunch). "This week was annooooooying." he groaned, forehead not lifting from the cool metal of the table.

"Not my fault you're stupid." Ruffnut remarked. Tuffnut threw his milk carton at her (thankfully closed).

"Eh, I'm with Tuff," Jack shrugged. "It was pretty horrendous. But not _all_ bad."

"Pft, yeah, you got the teacher who brings in great snacks." Tuffnut complained with a glower, mumbling about how his teacher only brought in crappy crackers.

Jack flashed a smile at Hiccup. "Yeah, I had a better time than most, probably."

Okay Jack really needed to stop doing that thing where he makes Hiccup _feel_ things because it was starting to get ridiculous and he was losing his ability to _deal_.

"So, I'm confused though, what do we do for the rest of the day if tests are done now?" Jack asked, breaking eye contact with Hiccup to look questioningly at the rest of the group.

"We go to the rest of our classes after lunch." Astrid spoke up. "But it's not really the full class period. They're like half an hour each and are just periods where teachers hand your work back and let you slack off."

"Although Mulch will probably also want to check with us and make sure we're still on film duty for the game tomorrow." Hiccup added.

At the mention of the event Tuffnut sat up straighter in his seat, grinning confidently. "Just make sure to film my crowning moment of amazing!" he instructed, almost seeming to preen. "Last game of the semester, so you can count on me making sure we win it."

Ruffnut scoffed. "Doesn't Snotlout usually do all the work?"

"Shut up, I'm good too!"

"Yes, you're _both_ good," Astrid cut in, eager to nip another sibling argument before it could begin and shooting Ruffnut a quieting look. "I'll be rooting for you, Tuffnut."

Tuffnut blinked at that, expression falling to one of neutrality. "Oh. Uh. Thanks."

"Yeah, me too." Jack added with a smirk. "You keep beating me at the _important_ stuff, like ski ball, so you better not disappoint me by losing a lame old football game."

"Hah, as if!" the male twin shot back, face lighting up with challenge, and he continued to boast his confidence for victory. Hiccup found it odd that, for once, he was actually, silently, rooting for him.

"Oh! That reminds me," Jack spoke up again, making sure he had everyone's attention. "Tests are done, and after the game's over, we're officially starting our break! So we should go out and celebrate, right?"

"Seems like all you ever wanna do is celebrate things, Jack." Fishlegs commented with an amused grin.

"Hey! Can I help it if there's tons of stuff to celebrate all the time?"

"My social life has had such an influx of activity lately," Hiccup sighed, closing his eyes in lament. "It's been cutting into my ever so valuable internet time."

Ruffnut's snicker carried a hint that she might have agreed with him.

"Oh, you'll have plenty of time to sit at home on your computer during the break." Jack admonished, lightly tapping him on the back of the head.

"That's assault." Hiccup drawled.

Several moments of arguing followed afterward, but after having plenty of laughs at Jack's expense, the table finally settled and arrived at the agreement.

"Bertha's Diner after the game, then." Astrid confirmed, receiving nods of agreement from the party.

Hiccup offered a smile, but really, he'd been partially serious; honestly, what did a guy have to do to spend a day unwinding online? Jack had better count himself lucky that Hiccup was so willing to jeopardize his introverted ways for his sake.

.

* * *

.

True to Tuffnut's claims, game night had wound up as a rather poignant success for the Berk High Vikings and their final game of the semester. Astrid and Ruffnut had kept Hiccup company up in the stands while he filmed, making perfectly annoying nuisances of themselves (much to their obvious delight and Ruffnut's apparent pride), while Fishlegs opted to keep Jack company on the other side of the arena. Both cameramen had had the decency to pay a bit more attention to the field this time around, though this was mostly on account of them being more invested in Tuffnut's performance on the field, silently testing to see if he'd honor his promises.

Snotlout, of course, was still the team's star, but if Hiccup had to stake a guess, it really didn't look as though the quarterback's heart was entirely in the game this evening. He played as though distracted, and Hiccup had an obvious suspicion as to why. He even seemed to skip right over his typical showboating habits when he scored touchdowns, simply moving back into position with very little fanfare.

The brunet tried not to think too much about his cousin's apparent plight – after all, it wasn't as though he really owed him anything – and tried to remain focused on the job at hand (in spite of Ruffnut's continuous twittering and taunting behind him, which he knew was for no other reason than for the sake of bugging the crap out of him because she was bored).

Hiccup couldn't help smiling like a doofus, however, when in a bit of déjà vu he managed to spot Jack across the field with his camera trained on Hiccup, clearly visible smiling in the magnified image and offering Hiccup a wave. And just like the first time it had happened Hiccup felt that oh so lovely warmth fill him up as he offered a wave back, this time choosing to ignore Astrid's questioning of his behavior (as well as Ruffnut's conspiratory snickers).

"Well _that_ took forever." Ruffnut announced with a yawn when the final play had been made and the game reached its conclusion, standing from her seat with a lazy stretch.

"Oh, come on," Astrid chastised, swatting her hand against her friend's shoulder. "At least _pretend_ to support your brother."

"Hey I come to every one of these stupid games, don't I?"

"Fair point. Hiccup, you need any help cleaning up?"

Hiccup was already making quick work of bundling the cables for his camera and putting the device away, but he nodded all the same. "Yeah, if you're willing. I'm on final cleanup duty again, too, so I'm gonna have to help Mulch gather the other cables anyway."

"You go ahead and help him out," Ruffnut advised, jerking a thumb over her shoulder. "I've gotta go talk to Tuffnut anyway, so I'll meet you guys outside."

As Ruffnut departed and left Astrid to assist in the disassembly of the web-like network of electrical wires, the girl thought considerably on the matter of discussing 'the Jack issue' with Hiccup again. She had been noting the positive change that had come over the boys after that awful and unfamiliar weirdness had released its grip upon them, but thanks to this last week of hell, she hadn't had too many opportunities to be around them or more closely observe their interactions.

Given that, she still couldn't make private calls regarding her opinion on Jack's feelings, though she still couldn't quite believe (after all the damn signs she'd noticed!) that Jack had honestly been bothered by Hiccup's attempt at a kiss. Somehow she felt like she just hadn't gotten the whole story on that one, and it seriously bothered her to no end. To put it simply, she wanted to know what was going on. What was _really_ going on. As the girl coiled a particularly heavy length of cable around her forearm, she wondered to herself if it would seem weird of her to go and see Mary just on her own. She hadn't really seen the girl since her show, and she had a good feeling that the girl could potentially provide some insight.

"Astrid? You still with us?" Hiccup asked hesitantly, drawing the girl out of her thoughts and wiping the absent look from her face.

"Oh! Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

"Uh-huh. Come on, let's drop off these cables and be done, yeah?"

The farewell with Mr. Mulch had been almost tearful on the teacher's part, and if Hiccup hadn't felt so bad about it, he might have wanted to laugh. Mulch was most certainly not happy to see his best cameraman and loyal (and experienced) assistant of two years finally transferring into a new elective, and as Hiccup dropped off his camera and cords for the final time, Mulch looked as though he wanted to toss his arms around the brunet and beg him not to go and leave him with a class full of slackers. Alas, he settled on a curt nod and a shaky-voiced farewell.

"Been a pleasure having you in my class, Haddock. You enjoy your holiday now."

"Thanks, Mr. Mulch." Hiccup answered with an apologetic smile. "You too."

Mulch sniffed audibly and offered a nod to Jack, who had arrived with Fishlegs to drop off his own gear. "Overland."

The teen nodded back, his grin more playful. "Mulch."

And that seemed to be all that needed to be said before the Film Production teacher left to go about his own final business, dismissing Hiccup and Jack to 'go and be crazy kids' with their friends. The quartet exited the football stadium with their spirits high, prepared to engage in a night out of celebration, up until they met up with the twins in the parking lot and caught sight of their somber expressions. And all at once it was clear that there would be no good times to be had.

"…Everything alright, you two?" Astrid broke the silence, stepping forward.

Ruffnut simply heaved a sigh and a shrug, her brother glancing away in silence. "I went to go talk to Snotlout." she explained.

"Aaaand I'm guessing that didn't go so well?" Hiccup spoke up from behind his friend, raising a questioning brow.

"We wanted him to join us." she continued, dropping her arms to her sides and slouching more than usual. "He _is_ our friend, whether you like him or not. But he got pretty pissed, and we had a fight. Not sure where we stand with him right now, but I really don't feel like celebrating anymore."

"Oh…"

The silence hung between them for a moment more before Astrid, ever the mediator, attempted to soothe the issue. "Well, maybe you guys ought to just go home then. I mean, on second thought, I feel pretty run-down, myself, and think I might just prefer to go home and crash."

"Y-yeah." Fishlegs agreed with a quick nod. "Tonight was pretty tiring."

Though he looked reluctant doing do, Jack offered an agreeing nod and a grunt as well, Hiccup following suit. Tuffnut still didn't speak, but if one looked closely, they could see the ghost of an appreciative glance tossed their way.

"We can always get together sometime during the break, right?" Fishlegs suggested, and the sentiment was apparently reasonable enough that the teens elected to finally disperse for the evening, each to their own homes with mild feelings of disappointment weighing them down.

And so it was that at half past 10:00 p.m. that Saturday night, Hiccup found himself face down on his bed, sighing to shake off the melancholy and petting Toothless with a warm sense of fondness. The ball of fur secured himself firmly against his human's side, purring contentedly at having him home and doing his best to ease the tension he could feel rolling off the boy.

"It's been a long week, buddy." Hiccup told his feline companion, turning onto his back with some degree of effort and allowing Toothless to relocate himself onto his chest. "Between the tests and dealing with that whole messy business with Jack… and now, can you even believe it? I've got a pair of obnoxious twins horning their way into my carefully closed off, close-knit group of friends." he joked, meeting Toothless's eyeroll (it was _totally_ an eyeroll and you could not convince Hiccup otherwise) with a smirk. "I know, right?"

Toothless paid his boy's dramatics no further mind as he stretched himself lazily and pressed his forehead under Hiccup's chin, letting his eyes slip closed as he purred more loudly. Hiccup offered him some affectionate strokes down the side, allowing the animal to nestle himself closer. "It's good to see you too, bud. Sorry I've been so distracted this week."

That familiar, strange noise in the air caused Toothless to cease purring, instead resorting to an almost irritable growl. That noise meant that the strange device his human was so obsessed with was vying for his attention now. And sure enough, Hiccup immediately ceased in his petting of the feline and pulled the little rectangle from his pocket, eyeing it with interest. Toothless had half a mind to bat the thing right out of his hand, as though to say 'No. It is not time to stare at your glowing box. It is time to pet Toothless.'

But the last time he'd done that Hiccup had gotten a little cross with him. Heaving a feline sigh, he simply tried to make himself more comfortable against the boy's chest when he started to tap on the glowing screen of the weird device, doing his best to ignore it.

'_Sooooooo that was kind of a bummer and a half :('_

Hiccup produced a small smile at the sight of Jack's text once his screen had lit up to display it, though he couldn't say he was any more pleased with the turn of events than Jack was.

'_Yeah it really kind of was. I was actually looking forward to eating with everyone. You know, a bit.'_

'_Riiiiiight just a bit hic. You can try and pretend you dont like going out so much but i know you love it :P'_

Oh, typical Jack response. The brunet chuckled.

'_It's all for the sake of my long-suffering wife, of course. If you didn't nag me so much I'd happily spend my nights at home.'_

'_Wow RUDE. You really know how to break a girls heart hiccup.'_

'_We've been through this snowflake. You knew what you were getting into.'_

It was all so easy. The banter, the jokes, the pretend-but-not-quite-pretend-for-Hiccup-but-still -pretend-as-far-as-Jack-knew flirting… It was exactly what they'd had. And it killed Hiccup a little inside that he would never be able to push things further than this.

'_Yes well if you wanna try and actually be decent for once ive got an idea for us. You know i still have that model just sitting here in my room waiting to be put together. You wanna maybe come by tomorrow and help me out hic?'_

If Hiccup wasn't mistaken, that would entail going to Jack's house alone, being in his room with him, alone, and spending an extended amount of time together. Alone. It was exactly the sort of circumstance that had led him to his last screw-up that almost ruined things between them. Did he seriously think it was a good idea to risk that sort of thing aga-

'_I'm in.'_

Aaaaaaand he didn't even think before sending his response, did he?

Well, mayhap it was for the best. An impulsive response spared him the agony of trying to come up with an excuse _not_ to go, after all. Sure, it left him as a pit of nerves for the rest of the night, and inspired his belly into performing flips long after their text conversation had ended and he was settling into sleep, but all the same, a little spontaneity was a good thing, wasn't it?

.

* * *

.

Well, Stoick certainly couldn't say he was pleased with this development. Really now, Hiccup, couldn't you at least meet your father half way? He held back the low groan that threatened to make itself known and would have probably rattled the floorboards in its intensity as he watched Hiccup running around the kitchen, grabbing himself some of the breakfast Stoick had prepared and hardly sparing his father a glance.

Today was _supposed_ to be the day, Stoick had decided. He'd worked it all out; he'd get up in the morning, make a nice, tasty, filling meal for him and his son, and then he was going to ask if there was anywhere Hiccup wanted to go – anywhere at all! Sure, any other day it might have seemed a little strange for the man to spontaneously treat Hiccup to a day out somewhere, but today Stoick could simply claim that it was to congratulate Hiccup on finishing his tests and starting his winter break. Then, of course, they could head home and Hiccup could help Stoick decorate the house; there were plenty of lights that still needed to go up, after all.

And, finally, somewhere over the course of the day while they were relaxed, Stoick would initiate 'the talk', and he was fully prepared to keep at it until he got somewhere. He'd been preparing himself all week for this, had gotten his advice from his trusted friends, had even shared drinks and stories with North – and _that_ had certainly been an enlightening experience. The two men had gotten rather loopy as he recalled, though not quite enough to lose their heads, and more than a few tales of tragedies and family were passed between the two, and mutual advisory offered. To put it simply, Stoick was _ready_.

And then, of course, what he discovered come Sunday morning was that Hiccup was gathering his things and preparing to leave, informing his father that he'd be at Jack's house for the day and that he'd see him later and yadda yadda yadda.

It had made Stoick more than a little cross. Sure, maybe he should have told Hiccup to keep Sunday free and to not make any plans, but that wasn't even the issue here. The issue, Stoick contemplated with a heavy heart, was that more and more lately Hiccup just seemed to prove that he wanted to be away from the house. Away from _him_. And to a father who was becoming increasingly desperate to fix his relationship with his son, that thought was nothing short of devastating.

But he didn't want to jump to conclusions.

"Ah… Hiccup." he spoke up just as the boy was downing the last of his eggs, trying to keep his voice genial and light (a challenge when he spoke with such a naturally deep rumble).

The small brunet offered him his eye contact. "Yeah dad?"

"Don't be home too late." Stoick instructed, gathering up his cleaned plate and marching over to the sink. "I'd like you home by no later than nine."

Though his back was turned at the moment, busy at the sink as he was, he could practically feel the way Hiccup tensed at the table. He must have thought something was wrong. Ah, Thor's Beard, it wouldn't do to make him _nervous_ about this…

"Uh, how come?" he asked, slight suspicion in his voice.

Stoick turned back toward him and gave him an oddly forced smile, once again attempting to keep his voice light and gentle, and not _too _commanding. "I'd just like you home for a few things. You go ahead, enjoy your day, just… be home before too late, alright?" Gods of Asgard this felt strange. Stoick had never really been the best at trying to force warmth that he wasn't totally feeling. Still, he clapped his hands together (something of a conversational habit of his) and gave Hiccup a slightly hopeful glance. "Deal?"

The boy definitely seemed to find the situation a little strange, but he nodded after a couple seconds of contemplation, an agreeable "Deal" falling from his lips as he stood and made his way for the door, claiming it was about time he got going.

Stoick watched him call for Toothless, the cat springing down the stairs after him and following him out the front door, and for a brief moment while Hiccup was still visible through the window, watched the pair depart in the direction of the North household. Only once Hiccup was out of sight did he finally rest himself against the counter and sigh.

"It's just a simple talk," he mumbled, glancing at the ceiling and wondering how he should spend the day now that Hiccup was gone. He'd already handled all of the pressing paperwork and issues of town management this week, practically forced his way through them just to make sure this Sunday could be kept open, and yet now that seemed pointless.

Reaching for his chest, he fished a small locket from beneath his shirt, where it always rested in the center of his broad chest, and flicked it open, gazing softly at the photo of the beautiful woman inside. "Help me out a little, eh Val?"

.

* * *

.

Hiccup had been expecting Jack's face to greet him when he had knocked at the front door of the boy's residence – he did know Hiccup was coming, and all. Mary's sunny face, though, while a mild surprise was by no means unpleasant. She swung the door wide after Hiccup had knocked merely a few times, smiling brightly at Hiccup in that way of hers that glowed of childish innocence.

"Hi Hiccup!"

"Hey there Mary. Is Jack in?" He greeted her with his own smile, amusement coloring his face when she kneeled to pet Toothless (much to the feline's pleasure).

"Mmhm! He's upstairs cleaning." She hardly even glanced up as she spoke, seated on her knees and giving Toothless all of her attention, and the little ham was certainly eating it up as he rolled onto his back and kicked his paws out, inviting her to scratch at his belly.

Hiccup rolled his eyes at the Burmese and nudged him with his foot. "Oh you're just _so_ starved for attention, aren't you?"

Toothless gave him smug look.

"Well, Mary, since the furry glutton here is so intent on milking you for affection, would you mind keeping an eye on him while I head upstairs?"

Mary laughed and scooped the heavy creature into her small arms, barely managed the feat from the looks of things, and nodded up at the brunet boy in a chipper fashion. "Sure! Oh, you can hang your jacket up in the closet under the stairs."

He rubbed lightly at the hair on her head and nodded. "Thank you."

Following the girl's instructions as she dragged Toothless into the game room with her (he seemed to be getting used to this home, Hiccup noted), he draped his coat up in the closet she had pointed out, noting the much more pleasantly warm temperature inside compared to the biting frost that lingered beyond the front door. With a soft, nervous sigh, he then made his way up the stairs toward Jack's room, where he had been informed that the taller boy was… cleaning?

Now that Hiccup stopped to think about that, it seemed like sort of an odd notion. He jerked his lips to one side as he quizzically regarded the idea, and then opted to very slowly open Jack's bedroom door and peek inside. He wouldn't have believed it had he not seen it, but there indeed was the white-haired quickly zipping around his room and picking up such things as stray articles of clothing, random toys, open game cases, and all manner of other things that usually littered his untidy floor, exposing a large chunk of carpeted space to practically gleam in cleanliness.

Hiccup pushed the ingress further inward and chuckled, drawing the blue-eyed boy's attention with a slightly startled jerk.

"You're seriously cleaning? I never thought I'd see the day." Freckles creased with the boy's humor.

Jack supplied a sheepish grin, tossing a stuffed creature of some kind (was that a yeti?) into the corner of his bed. "Well, we're building a model!" he explained. "I wanted to make sure we had a clear floor space to work on it."

"Fair enough, I suppose. Now what exactly are we going to be building? You never did show me."

"Oh!" Blue eyes lit up with excitement as their owner bounded toward the shelves up on his wall, grabbing a large-ish box and brandishing it in a grand display toward Hiccup. "Tada!"

The picture on the box indicated a rather large, and complex-looking, 1/20 Scale Model Viking Longboat, complete with little Viking figurines to pilot it. Looking at it, Hiccup had to admit that it did look rather complex – it involved a lot of wooden pieces and the use of a strong adhesive, rather than pieces that simply clicked together.

"Huh, you really did manage to pick out a challenge." he mused, Jack seeming to be proud of that. "…Of course, it's still child's play to me." he added cheekily, simply to show off just _a little_.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, not all of us are woodshop masters." Jack countered, squatting down on the floor and patting the carpet next to him. "So, shall we jump right in?"

Hiccup accepted the invitation happily. "Do let's."

.

* * *

.

He had been worried that the work would be silent. He'd had his concerns that all the progress he and Hiccup had made over the week might revert back to square one as soon as the brunet stepped foot in his room and faced the reminder of where they had been back when Jack had nearly messed up big time.

But of course, as things stood now, it begged the question as to whether or not he would have really messed up back then, if he'd actually gone through it. Regardless, his worries seemed to be completely unfounded; Hiccup seemed, if anything, at ease once he was in Jack's space again, joining him on the carpet and opening up the box that Jack had provided to look upon all of the spiffy little wooden components and screws, as well as the glue that was oh so graciously included in the box. Would have been kind of a bummer to have to take a trip down to the Blank Canvas and buy some.

"Alright, do you have any newspaper or something? We're gonna want to lay some down." Hiccup was saying, eyes and dexterous fingers focused on the task at hand as he happily began to divide the pieces into neat piles, scanning the directions for anything he couldn't figure out on his own.

Jack found it fascinating to watch him go, so in his element, but quickly complied in his task. He hopped to his feet and made a quick trip down to the kitchen, snatching some old newspapers off the dining table before returning to Hiccup, only to find that he'd already started carefully gluing some of the planks together.

"Awwww, come on, Hic, starting without me?"

He glanced up and blushed a pale red briefly, chuckling. "Sorry about that, couldn't resist."

Jack found it easy to forgive him. Setting down the paper, work progressed in a steady fashion, never silent for more than a few moments as Hiccup would offer further instructions to his friend about where to screw that board, or how to properly glue the mast so that it wouldn't get too messy, or simply reciting the next step in the manual. And, in between, there was no shortage of regular conversation, as easy and comfortable as breathing, and leaving Jack to wonder why he ever thought inviting Hiccup into his room could possibly be a bad thing.

"I have a strong feeling we're gonna be Anna's worst nightmare," Jack was saying, laughing mischievously. Conversation had drifted to school, and inevitably toward their impending new class. "I mean I gotta wonder how she even allows herself to teach Home Ec – she has such a vendetta against sweets, seems like, and don't we just spend all our time in that class making cakes and stuff?"

Hiccup chuckled in response as he carefully laid out the completed hull of the longboat. "Pretty sure we cook non-sweet things, too. Like, chicken or something."

"Oh yeah, I guess so. Hah, dude, she's gonna get so sick of seeing you though. Don't you already have her in two of your classes as it is?"

"In case you've forgotten, Jack, she actually _likes_ me," the freckled boy smirked. "If anything I think it's you she'd get tired of. Dealing with you in two classes is something even I can barely handle."

"Oh, _ouch_ Hiccup." Jack replied, clutching his chest. "You really can't go more than five minutes without having something horrible to say to me, can you?"

"Nope."

"And he doesn't even deny it!"

"Lying is bad, Jack."

Jack dropped the oar he was working on attaching to the boat and fell back theatrically, his back resting against the edge of his mattress. "You are the worst friend. Congratulations Hiccup. I should give you an award or something."

"I'm partial to the color green, if you're considering a ribbon." Hiccup replied without looking up from his work, the corners of his lips tugged upward while he set the floorboards in place.

After a few moments of silence had passed, Jack blinked up at the ceiling several times, expression thoughtful when he spoke up compulsively.

"I don't really annoy you, do I?"

He wanted to smack himself just as soon as he'd said it. Like wow, Jack, talk about a weird thing to say! You might as well be slapping a big sign on your forehead that read 'NEEDY' in big, bold letters!

Chancing a glance over at Hiccup, though, his heart almost skipped a beat at the absolutely perplexed expression, tinged with worry, that the other boy fixed him with.

"Of course not, Jack." he replied, almost sounding as though he couldn't believe Jack could possibly think such a thing. "I mean, I know I run my mouth off, and all, but I don't mean for you to take it serious-"

"No, no, Hiccup, sorry, it's cool." Jack cut him off, raising a hand to stop him. "I know, I know. I was just being… Ahaha, I was being dumb, don't mind me. Come on, I know you don't mean those things."

Hiccup finally paused in his work, setting a small plank down on the newspaper and following Jack's example as he leaned against the bed, apparently intent on taking a break. He was quietly thoughtful for a few more seconds.

"If you know I don't mean it then why did you ask?"

Jack laughed and shrugged. "I… I dunno. I guess…" _I guess I've just been thinking about this last week, and how you didn't want to be near me after I almost kissed you, but I don't want to bring that up because I don't want you to think about it again and get weirded out._

"You… guess?" Hiccup repeated, raising his eyebrows expectantly at his friend.

Jack's fingers found purchase in his hair as his tone became strained, as though searching for the proper words to say. "Well, it's just… you know, you were…" Oh hell, he was going to do it, wasn't he? He was seriously going to talk about it… "You know, that thing, that happened… and the, uh, the weirdness…"

Chancing a sideways glance, he caught Hiccup's eyes widening and his face coloring just a touch, and before he could try and backpedal and tell Hiccup not to worry about it and that it was all his fault and that he had just been acting really dumb, Hiccup beat him quietly to the punch.

"I'm sorry."

And Jack paused. "You… what?"

"I said I'm sorry, Jack. I… look, I don't know what I was thinking, alright? It was… the atmosphere. Yeah, that was it." he seemed almost quietly hysterical now, scrambling for explanations as he waved his hands and left Jack more confused. "Just, you know, the lighting I guess, and the hugging was happening, and I really wasn't thinking about what I was doing, and I _swear_ I never would have tried something like that normally, and gods, I just-" he finally paused, refusing to meet Jack's eyes.

If he had, he might have seen the way they widened, the pieces finally starting to click together in Jack's mind, Hiccup's words starting to make sense and portray an altogether different picture than what Jack had originally thought.

"I'm really sorry, Jack, alright? It was really dumb, and I didn't mean to make things all… weird, between us." Hiccup continued with a heavy voice, fingers knotted in the carpet and knuckles going white with the strength of his grip. Holy crap, he seemed terrified… "It'll never happen again. You don't have anything to worry about."

Hiccup was sitting here, literally one foot to Jack's left, eyes on his lap and stammering apologies because, as Jack understood it, _he was sorry that he had tried to kiss him_. Jack blinked, mind running on overdrive.

"I just," the auburn-haired teen began.

Hiccup had tried to kiss him.

"I really don't want you to think,"

But Jack had thought _he'd_ tried to kiss _Hiccup_.

"I mean, I don't want this to change things,"

They'd tried to kiss _each other_, then? And both had backed out at the last moment.

And Jack almost wanted to laugh at this situation. But staring at Hiccup's downturned, freckled, deep-flushing face, brows stitched together in avid distress, there was only one thing Jack could think of that he honestly really wanted to do, right this second.

"You're… really kind of leaving me hanging here, with the quiet, Jack." the brunet stated, voice slightly shaky.

Jack just stared for a second, two seconds, three.

"Hey, Hiccup."

The boy took in a shallow breath and lifted his gaze, turning to face his friend.

And then Jack leaned forward and pressed his lips against the other's, letting his eyes close as his heart hammered in his chest, more nervous than he'd ever felt in his life and yet never feeling more _alive _and _right_ than right here in this moment. He couldn't see the other boy's face, couldn't see the reaction that awaited him there, but he felt his body tense for only a moment, maybe more, before everything softened, before hesitant lips suddenly began to move, softly gliding against Jack's.

He could feel Hiccup's breath, softly but shakily exhaled from his round little nose that bumped with Jack's as the teens clumsily navigated this first kiss, could feel how chapped the brunet's lips were against his own (though he hardly imagined his must be any better), but felt there was nothing he would change about them.

Jack had never had an experience like this. The warmth that coursed through him overpowered the fear, the instinct behind his actions guided him past his maladroit inexperience, and the increasingly firm press of lips on lips and the slightest of sighs from Hiccup seemed to indicate to him that this was certainly mutual.

And goodness sakes alive, he couldn't describe this feeling properly if he had years to do so. It was like soaring, deep in his mind. Like flying and whooping and shouting with delight into a clear blue sky as the wind charged him around the world and filled him with elation. The touch of the other boy was like the coziest, warmest sensation; it wrapped around him like a blanket and made him feel complete somehow, a warmth that could never grow uncomfortable or too hot.

It was a simple, basic, inept touch of lips.

And it was absolutely incredible.

Very slowly, the two finally pulled apart and Jack allowed his eyes to open, taking in the beautifully flushed, surprised, possibly confused, but undeniably hopeful and pleased expression on Hiccup's face. Wow. How had Jack never noticed just how great this guy's face was before?

They still hovered close enough that their breath could mingle, neither seeming to know what to say. Ever one to break the ice, Jack lifted his lips in a friendly, nervous smile, breathing a single word.

"Hi."

Hiccup stared with wide eyes, and slowly, the right corner of lips lifted upward.

**.**

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**I have nothing to say. c:**


	11. Highlights

**Sooooooooooo. What to say, what to say.**

**Well I guess for starters, my apologies on the wait. For a variety of reasons this chapter was sort of a difficult one to get out (mostly pertaining to an unexpectedly occupied schedule that took over my life for a little while). Sorry about that! But I suppose I ought to clarify something, since I got a LOT of people with this concern:**

_**I am not stopping the story, guys! I am going to see it through to the END, which is not going to be for at least four more chapters. It's **__**not**__** over, I'm **__**not**__** discontinuing it, nor **_**will I **_**discontinue it. And if, for whatever reason, I DID discontinue it, I'd post an announcement.**_

**I really hope that eases you guys' worries. :P**

**Now! As for this chapter. It's a bit on the shorter side (I know, you waited forever and are getting a slightly shorter chapter? Sorry about that, haha), but not quite as short as, say, Chapter 8. Even so, I really hope you guys enjoy it!**

**The cover art this time is by the very talented Quiet-Garden, author of 'Berk to Burgess' and 'He Said Goodnight But Stayed'. She also has a tumblr, BerktoBurgess, where you can see more things she has drawn and written!**

**And with that, let's move on!**

**.**

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**Chapter 11**

**Highlights**

**.**

Exhilaration. It was pure, overwhelming exhilaration, exuberance, a thrill deep in his heart that set his blood boiling in his veins, an elation that consumed the senses. It was as though this excitement, this happiness, this _life_ had been dammed up in the deep of his heart, only for the floodgates to finally burst at the electric touch of Jackson Overland's lips. There was nothing but that moment, that bliss, that beautiful, perfect feeling that, for a span of several seconds, left Hiccup feeling like everything in the world was going to be alright. No more problems existed, all thanks to this.

When the two had separated, Hiccup was pleasantly surprised to find that the feeling didn't entirely subsist – it merely reigned itself back in a smidge, leaving his heart hammering in his chest with a mix of hope and apprehension, his mind failing to come up with something to say.

"Hi."

Jack had said then, eyes locked with his, breath ghosting across Hiccup's lips (wow, he was still _so close_), and Hiccup could only blink as the barest of smiles lifted his lips, finally processing that, yes, all of that had _just happened_.

And yet still there was silence. And for several moments it held them in its grasp, robbing them of words and leaving the two teenaged boys at a loss, in spite of the fact that in their situation, words should have been the easiest thing to come up with. They pulled apart, gradually, though merely to return to their sitting positions, shoulder to shoulder against Jack's bed, still close but not quite to the point of sharing oxygen anymore. Hiccup watched Jack's fingers fiddle with the carpet as they were so wont to do in moments of trepidation, his mouth opening and closing in a visual representation of Hiccup's own inner struggle; _what on earth do I say?_

"What was that?" Hiccup suddenly blurted out, cheeks a deep scarlet as he kept his focus on Jack. His expression was embarrassed, as well it should have been, because come _on_ Hiccup, what the hell kind of question was that?

Jack seemed to share the sentiment, his eyebrows lifting somewhat confusedly, but he smirked a bit, a familiar and comforting expression. "That, uh. That was a kiss, Hiccup."

Hiccup, in spite of himself, chuckled at the remark, relieved when Jack joined him. "I- Yeah, that was, uh, that was a dumb thing to say." Hiccup nodded, casting his gaze down. He cleared his throat. "Uhm, I mean, well… So you just kissed me then. That was… that was a thing you actually did, and it wasn't just my imagination…?"

His voice held the evidence of the question, no matter how certain the situation seemed. Jack's smile became warming.

"Not unless we're _both_ imagining things."

Hiccup fidgeted where he sat. He didn't miss the way Jack was rubbing at his head, cheeks just as red as he was sure his own were, eyes scanning his walls for something interesting to look at. He also didn't fail to notice how both of them were wearing what he assumed to be really dumb smiles.

"Would it be really stupid of me to ask you what it means?" Hiccup decided on, heart thudding a little harder with the mild, only slightly unreasonable fear that he was somehow misreading the situation.

Jack, however, understood, feeling that same sort of half-concern – up until Hiccup asked about it, anyway. He swayed his feet side to side and wiggled his toes, bottom lip pulling into his mouth for a brief moment while he formulated a response.

"Weeeell… it means I, you know," he lifted a hand in a vague sort of gesture at nothing, shrugging to try and convey ease when in reality he felt completely knotted up inside. "I wanted to kiss you. For the same reasons that, uh, people usually want to kiss other people."

Hiccup nodded, scratching his head as he stared at his lap and considered how ridiculous this situation was. Here they were, sitting literally right next to one another, after having just fucking _kissed_, and now Jack had essentially confirmed, in not so many words, that he _liked_ Hiccup (or at least, the brunet was assuming…), and yet all they could do was sit around like a couple of dolts and stare at the walls or the carpet or their feet.

It was really, really dumb.

And Hiccup certainly wasn't helping the situation by simply nodding along and adding a muttered 'I see' to the _riveting_ conversation.

Silence fell again, though only for a few seconds this time around, broken when Jack released an airy laugh and a sigh and collapsed his weight more fully against the edge of his bed. He slung his arms up to rest on the edge of the mattress in a relaxed fashion, and Hiccup almost had the feeling that his left arm was about to snake around his shoulders (it didn't, and he was actually kind of disappointed about that).

"That was my first kiss." Jack breathed with a light grin, glancing over at Hiccup again at long last.

Hiccup met his gaze fully and blinked, a bewildered sort of smile on his features as his hands folded themselves in his lap (fingers wringing together with lingering nervousness). "You can't be serious."

Jack chuckled. "I am. What, you gonna make fun of me?"

Hiccup shook his head, laughing. "N-no! Of course not, it's just… I would have thought someone like you would have…" he trailed off, realizing that he was unintentionally stereotyping. Just because Jack was a good-looking guy (mindblowinglygorgeousandabsolutelybreathtakingine verywayimaginabl- what?) didn't necessarily mean…

"Yeah, well, you know. Was never really very good at the whole personal connections thing, remember?"

"Right, yeah." Hiccup nodded, feeling sheepish for having overlooked that detail for a moment. "Good point…"

"So…" Jack began, laughing nervously. "…You?"

Hiccup blinked a couple times as he processed the question and then stammered a response. "I, oh, uh. No, I. Well, yeah, it was, uh… me too."

"Really?" Jack asked, and Hiccup found it odd and endearing all at once how that information seemed to make the other boy really happy. Perhaps he was just relieved that he wasn't alone in his inexperience. "I guess I just figured that since you and Astrid are so close, you might have smooched her when you were younger or something, haha."

Hiccup chuckled and shook his head. "No, not rea- oh, well. Actually, now that I think of it, I guess we had that one Christmas party a few years ago where Gobber tricked us into walking under the mistletoe. But I mean, it was like a second long, and we both just wanted to get it over with, so I don't think that really counts."

Jack laughed a little more loudly. "Hey, it's lip to lip contact, I think it counts."

"Oh, whatever, fine." Hiccup rolled his eyes but laughed along, a warmth in his belly at Jack's simple, amused reaction. After another pause, this one more comfortable than the last, Hiccup took a steadying breath, a swallow, and hesitantly spoke up. "So… should we, you know. Talk about feelings, or something?"

The catch in Jack's throat was soft, but still audible in the even softer quiet of the still bedroom. "Y-yeah," Jack stuttered, and Hiccup found it strangely gratifying to hear such uncertainty in his voice. "I guess so."

Neither of them made any indication that they would go first.

Hiccup sighed. "So, you, uh…" his face screwed up a bit as though uttering these next words was some kind of challenge to him, something unfathomable for him to even consider. "You like me?" he finally managed, though in a very quiet voice.

Jack watched him looking uncertain, saw the unease in his eyes, and found himself settling a hand almost awkwardly on his friend's shoulder, offering him a squeeze. He nodded. "…Yeah, pretty much. I mean, uhm, listen, Hic…"

He needed to move, he needed some air. He suddenly jumped to his feet, pacing a few times (carefully side-stepping the model that sat unfinished on the floor) and then eventually made his way to his window, lifting the heavy wood up and allowing a cold breeze into the suddenly stuffy space. Hiccup never took his questioning gaze off of him.

"Okay, so, last week." Jack stated, sighing in relief as he breathed in the chill and then turned back to look at Hiccup, who was peeking over the top of Jack's bed at him, still seated on the floor. "I figure, based on how you were apologizing and all, that you were… you tried to kiss me, right?"

Hiccup glanced at the sheets.

"Yeah…"

"And you thought I…" Jack groaned and slapped his hand to his face. It seemed so clear in hindsight. Hiccup had had this wide-eyed look, just as Jack was noticing what he had been about to do, and Jack had _assumed_ that meant Hiccup was alarmed.

Only now did it occur to him that those big eyes could have meant he was hopeful. Anticipating. And then Jack had jerked away, and thinking about it, if _he_ had been in Hiccup's shoes… Oh boy, no wonder the signals had been crossed.

"So what if I told you I had actually been about to kiss _you_?" he asked.

Hiccup glanced up at that, expression blank. "Wh- I-, uhhh. What?"

Jack heaved a heavy breath. "Last week, I was about to kiss you." he confessed, still feeling strangely weird about the admission even though at this point it should have hardly been an issue. "But I didn't even notice it until I'd started, and then I saw you, and I…" He sent an apologetic look toward Hiccup, hands dropping to his side as he leaned back against the windowsill. "You looked like you were really bothered by what I was doing. So I kind of freaked out and pulled back."

Hiccup could only release a hollow laugh at that, expression conveying slight disbelief. "I thought… I thought you were the one bothered by me."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that, just now." Jack replied, screwing up his brow in irritation at himself.

"So, let me get this straight…" Hiccup spoke slowly as he got to his feet, taking measured steps toward Jack. "I was about to kiss you. And you were about to kiss me. And we both chickened out and thought we freaked each other out? Is that what happened, Jack?"

Oh, that tone was downright sassy, and Hiccup's incredulous brow was doing a remarkable job of making Jack feel like a goddamned _idiot_, despite the fact that he clearly hadn't been alone in that little screw up.

"Yes, Hic, I do think that that's what happened."

"And so this last week, all the dancing around eggshells, all of the distancing…" Hiccup had the most flummoxed sort of half-smile on his face as he splayed his hands about, a mixture of irritation and grand amusement playing itself perfectly through his voice. "It was all completely unnecessary, wasn't it?"

Jack couldn't help but smile and laugh. "Yeah, I guess it was."

"Wow." Hiccup sounded defeated, and yet it was a defeat that he seemed more than happy for. "That's…. haha. Wow. I'm gonna be honest with you, Jack, this is all just a little…"

"It's a bit much to take in, right?" Jack asked, looking fondly at the other boy's bewildered expression.

"They make it look so easy in the movies," Hiccup rambled, rolling his eyes and tossing his arms around. "'Hey, I like you!' 'Really? I like you too!' 'Great, glad we got that settled, let's make out!' 'Sounds grand!'" He made miming gestures as he spoke, his voice shifting between a couple unfamiliar octaves as he imitated the imaginary pair of silver screen lovers. Jack's smile grew.

"So you like me, huh?"

Hiccup halted, his brain catching up with his mouth, and Jack had the privilege of watching his cheeks flush in a way that was so ridiculously adorable for a teenaged boy that it couldn't possibly be legal. The freckled brunet tossed green orbs down toward the carpet, attention trained on socked feet that were partially obscured by the long cuffs of his loose-fitting jeans. He rolled his shoulders.

"…Yeah. For a little while now, actually. It's, uh… sort of been building."

His voice was so soft, shy, and almost painfully unsure. Jack understood the terror that he must have felt, opening himself up like that. Hiccup was standing here before Jack, putting words to his feelings, and then admitting them out loud to the focus of those feelings. And even in spite of the kiss they had shared, Jack was sure that the notion of rejection was a terrifying one.

He certainly knew he'd have felt the same if he'd had the balls to fess up first.

"That's… really good to know." he replied, hesitant, his own shyness creeping back to him. Hiccup's gaze lifted to meet his again, and there was a spark in those green eyes that Jack was realizing more and more how much he had come to adore. "And, well, I should probably tell you that it's pretty mutual."

And there it was again, that slight curve at the right side of the brunet's mouth, the appearance of a smile that was so small and yet so absolutely _happy_.

Jack returned the look, eyes conveying tender affection. "I really like you, Hic. And I mean, I can't really claim that it's been building or anything – I sort of only just figured it out on Wednesday, while I was having a sort of freakout, ahaha…"

Hiccup joined him in the nervous laughter, their shared smiles never falling, a budding hope hanging between them.

"But I mean… I think those feelings have been there for a little while, just kind of… _there_. And I just didn't notice them until that night. Can't really say for how long, but I guess that doesn't matter right now, does it?"

Hiccup shook his head, rubbing at his right arm and shifting his weight from foot to foot. "Naaaaah. I, uh. I mean. I'm glad. Just knowing that, you know? So I don't think the specifics of how long are really all that important."

There was yet another lull in the conversation, and Jack was fairly sure that this had to be the most awkward-conversation-that-really-shouldn't-be-awkw ard he had ever had. Honestly, Hiccup was right – this should have been _easy_. They'd kissed! They'd gotten past the hard part already, hadn't they? So why was this such a _thing_?

And then Hiccup took a hesitant step forward, locking eyes with Jack and swallowing his nerves, and his next question made Jack instantly take back what he had just thought about the hard part being over.

"Soooooo, I mean, this kind of seems like the stereotypical question to ask, but I guess it's appropriate, so, I'll just come out and go for it. Where, uh… where do we go from here?"

He was right; it really was an appropriate question. The typical 'What does this make us?' sort of deal. And Jack was having a really difficult time coming up with an answer. Thinking about it, he supposed he didn't necessarily have any qualms about a relationship – after all, he'd been rather consumed this past week with thoughts of how much he _wanted_ just that. He had had an embarrassing number of daydreams about it, frankly.

But was that necessarily what Hiccup wanted? It _seemed_ like it, what with the kissing, and the admission of feelings, and the questions, of course, but one should never assume. And Jack obviously had to ask himself… was he prepared for a relationship, if that's what Hiccup wanted? Daydreams were daydreams, after all, but no number of fantasies seemed capable of quelling the insistent, nagging voice in the back of his mind, the one that spat warnings and denouncements toward the notion of making himself so vulnerable to another person. That voice had been getting progressively quieter lately, but not to the point that it could be ignored.

He refocused on Hiccup's face, open and waiting and perhaps a little scared still, and his apprehension wanted to completely crumble away at the sight of it. And he had to remind himself that this was the boy that had inspired him to take a chance in the first place. This was the boy who had grown so very near and dear to him, as much a part of his heart now as he ever would be, and frankly, Jack was well past the point of turning back.

So why should he bother denying what he knew he wanted?

"I guess that's up to you, Hic." he answered after moments of thought, his smile as unsure as it was hopeful. "I've told you how I feel. So… I guess it depends on what you want to do with those feelings." he mumbled.

Hiccup regarded the brash, playful, kind, cocky, caring and surprisingly tender teen that stood before him almost blankly, his mouth hanging open for a moment before he closed it again. Was Jack seriously putting the decision to him? Was it really going to be that easy? Because Hiccup could only determine a single answer, if that was the case. He was _head over heels_ for this white-haired idiot, and while Jack certainly didn't need to know just yet how deeply his feelings for him ran, the choice was clear for Hiccup.

He took another few steps forward, entering the boundaries of Jack's personal bubble, and taking a chance to be forward, he made a grab for the other boy's hand, clasping it in his own freckled one.

Oh.

Well that was a neat feeling. It wasn't exactly easy to describe or even fully comprehend, but somehow, having the weight of Jack's hand resting in his own was… a very strange sort of comfort. A warmth, both similar and entirely different from what he had felt when his lips touched Jack's, flooded his system with their joined hands as the starting point, and he felt Jack's fingers tighten in their hold.

His eyes lifted from the sight of their hands, meeting Jack's surprised (but certainly not unhappy) expression, and Hiccup realized how close he'd managed to bring them again, and how the both of them seemed to now be waiting on bated breath for the words that would come out of Hiccup's mouth.

He fixed Jack with the most honest smile he could manage, finding the other boy looking back at him with hopeful anticipation.

Hiccup exhaled shakily. "I… definitely want to… uh, well, I guess, explore our feelings?"

There was barely a pause before Jack was cracking a smirk, holding back a laugh (though his hand tightened in Hiccup's own, and it certainly wasn't missed). "Is that _really_ how you're gonna phrase that?"

Hiccup's expression soured a bit. "What's wrong with how I phrased it?"

Now Jack was chortling, shaking his head in quiet mirth. "I- I dunno, Hic, but 'explore our feelings' just sounds…" his shoulders continued to shake and Hiccup was maintaining his shallow glare, while trying not to crack up himself. "It just sounds weird. Funny. Something like that."

Hiccup's lips finally quirked slightly at the corners, one auburn brow reaching skyward. "Okay, so then how would _you_ put it?"

This brought Jack's giggles to a gradual quiet, though his smirk had turned into an amused little grin. The two boys' hands swung together between them, rocking back and forth without their notice, and Jack sucked in a small breath. "I dunno. I guess it just sounds strange no matter how you put it."

"I know what you mean." Hiccup replied, glancing down. Gods, the heat in his cheeks was getting unbearable. And was his heart ever gonna stop beating so erratically? He released a few nervous laughs, catching notice of Jack's toes wringing themselves in the soft carpet, just as much a show of his own nervousness and apparent bashfulness as Hiccup's perpetual blush. The brunet wiggled his fingers in Jack's grip. "This whole thing just feels a little odd, in a way. Just not used to it. And I'm still… Surprised. Really, really surprised."

"It's weird, yeah." Jack laughed, eyes settling on their conjoined hands just as Hiccup's were. Hiccup's voice almost sounded breathless at this point, as though his thoughts were finally catching up to the reality of the situation and he could barely believe it. It made Jack feel odd, deep in his belly, and he found that he too was starting to feel short of breath. "But it's like… a good weird, right?"

Hiccup stuck his cheek out as though he were giving the idea very serious consideration, even adding a 'hmm' for effect (Jack simply rolled his eyes at the theatrics), before he met the other boy's smile and nodded. "Yeah. Definitely a good weird."

Slowly, Jack pulled his fingers free from Hiccup's hand, immediately missing the feeling but simultaneously being unable to stand any more of it at the moment. There was just a certain…. 'Much' quality about it, and he felt it was probably better to take these things in doses.

"So then, I guess we're kinda in agreement. I mean, am I reading that wrong, or…?"

"No, no, you're uh, you're right. I would say we're," Hiccup coughed. "We're in agreement." he finished, his freed hand going to rub shyly at his arm as he looked away again. Jack glanced down, chuckling along with the brunet as he moved his own hand to rub at his neck.

And then quiet. Really, the two seemed to be very good at not saying a word when they really should have been.

"Okay, well," Hiccup piped up, just as Jack cut in with "So, I-", prompting the both of them to stop, stare, laugh, and continue to squirm where they stood like love-struck grade school kids.

"You, uh, you were saying?" Jack invited, waving a hand to urge Hiccup to go first.

"Ah, right…" the boy nodded, collecting his thoughts. After another moment of waiting, he finally heaved a heavy sigh, smiling faintly and carding a hand through his bangs almost frustratedly. "I really have no idea what to say, or do, or _what_, here. This is… Gods, this is embarrassing. But this has just never happened to me before, and I can still hardly even believe it's happening now, and just… what do we actually do now, Jack?"

"Not exactly asking the best person." Jack mumbled back, able to appreciate Hiccup's abashed attitude. "But, I mean…" He pressed his tongue to the roof of his mouth, eyeing Hiccup up and down. He took in the slim, lanky posture, the oddly timid body language (though given the situation, he could certainly understand it), the creases of freckles on his brow… _Was he always this good-looking and I just seriously ignored it?_ Jack wanted to scoff at himself. This awkward, auburn-haired teen whose life Jack had been lucky enough to just waltz into was, to put it rather bluntly, attractive as hell. And while there were a myriad of aspects and qualities that Hiccup possessed which Jack deeply admired, ticks and mannerisms that had endeared him to the white-haired teen's heart, right now Jack found that Hiccup's physical features certainly deserved some notice. And besides, in light of present circumstances, Jack no longer needed to feel guilty or embarrassed for thinking positive things about Hiccup's looks, right? So why _shouldn't_ he take the chance to ogle?

Hiccup, however, squinted minutely in confusion, wondering what exactly Jack was staring at and still waiting for him to conclude whatever point he had been about to make.

"Jack?"

The other teen's gaze snapped up. "Uh."

"You, er. You gonna finish that thing you were saying?"

Jack's cheeks flushed right before Hiccup's eyes and the brunet had to blink – he'd never seen that happen so quickly. Jack cleared his throat.

"Right, sorry. It's just, I mean- Well, you were asking what we're supposed to do now annnnnd…"

Hiccup watched with amused interest as Jack's hands were jammed into his pockets, his posture slouched, and he began rocking on his heels. He'd known the boy long enough to recognize that as one of his most nervous displays. A smirk graced his features and he cocked his head a bit, ignoring how his palms had started sweating.

"And…?" he cajoled.

"…I was thinking it might be nice to, you know. Kiss again."

And then Hiccup blinked.

"Oh, uh. Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well… yeah, I mean, um. No arguments here or anything…"

The paler teen flashed a cocksure grin. "Oh? You want to?"

He was met with a shy, though simultaneously challenging one. "Well, if _you_ want to."

"I do want to." Jack confirmed, nodding again. "Maaaaybe a lot."

"'A lot', huh?" Hiccup asked, humor leaking into his slightly shaky voice.

"Yes." Jack responded simply, glancing down and biting his lip. "In fact, Hiccup, there is a one hundred percent chance that I want to definitely kiss you a lot. Soon, preferably."

The brunet's shoulders jerked forward, giggles tumbling from his lips as he brought up a fist to cover them up, his other hand crossing over his stomach. "One hundre- hahah. It's that – ahah – that high, huh?"

His nerves gradually falling away, Jack straightened up and produced what could only be described as a childish pout. "And what are _you_ laughing at? It's definitely that high."

Hiccup's answer was a simple shake of his head, gaze downcast as he continued to laugh under his breath. "You're just- You're so weird, Jack."

"Your _face_ is weird." Jack retorted petulantly, beaming.

This only caused further laughter from Hiccup, who finally lifted his face and met Jack's gaze, a gentle smile on his lips and his eyes creased upward. Jack's grin froze in place, lips barely parted, as he watched the shake in Hiccup's shoulders come to a slow stop and simply took in that expression. A quiet fell between them in which Jack's only thought was a resounding _Wow._ Hiccup, sensing the change in the air, slowly lowered his clenched fist and his expression relaxed. And then Jack decided that there was no time like the present and moved forward.

Hiccup had heard a lot of stories about first kisses, all the hubbub about them, and how people claimed that there was nothing like them, and for a long time he had always yearned to know what that was like. But as Jack's lips touched his for the second time, gently and yet still more firm than before, and as his hand hesitantly lifted to cup Hiccup's cheek, rubbing at the skin with his thumb as he pressed forward more insistently, Hiccup decided that the _second_ kiss was far superior to the first. Jack's lips moved against his with a more evident sense of purpose, and his other hand had taken to winding around Hiccup's waist, pulling him closer. Hiccup was a bit surprised at the rather bold step Jack took in bringing them practically chest to chest, but he certainly wasn't about to complain.

Deciding that his hands weren't doing anyone any good by just hanging at his side, he followed Jack's lead and brought nimble fingers to the nape of a pale neck, running them through white hairs and enjoying the feeling, while his other, not sure where to grasp, settled on fisting itself in the front of Jack's shirt.

He may have lacked experience, but he had always been good at going with his gut, and certainly at thinking on his feet, and he'd also done more than enough… ahem, _educational reading_ in certain corners of the internet to understand what exactly he should be doing. So when Jack, shockingly hesitant, began to part his lips and Hiccup felt the first nudge from something wet and warm poking at his own, it was understandable that his heart rate instantly skyrocketed and he felt a trace of apprehension. But, he didn't decline the other boy's request, and opened his own mouth to allow the impending game of tonsil hockey he was sure was on its way. All the while he considered the thrilling notion that he was seriously engaging in his very first makeout session…!

Neither of them was quite sure where it went wrong. One moment their tongues were pressing cautiously against one another, their first go at exploring each other's mouths, and everything felt absolutely _brilliant_, and the next there was suddenly a clacking of teeth, and foreheads bumping clumsily against one another, and sputtering, and a _shout_ from Jack when Hiccup (oh sweet lord no, no, no) _accidentally bit his tongue_. Jack was pulling away with a hand over his mouth and Hiccup was instantly panicking, hands fisted in his hair as he quickly spewed out a wave of apologies and self-admonishments.

Well. So much for that perfect second kiss.

"Jack! Oh jeez, are you alright? I-I didn't mean-!"

Jack was immediately waving a hand as though to dismiss Hiccup's worries, though the way he was hissing in pain wasn't exactly all that convincing. "I'm fine," he managed, hissing again and sucking in quick breaths in an effort to cool his stinging tongue.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked, eyes still wide with mortification over his actions. "There's, there's no blood, is there?"

This had the other teen laughing shakily, somehow finding the situation funny as he shook his head rapidly. "No, I'm not bleeding Hiccup. It just, uh. Ow. It stings a bit."

"Jack, I am _so_ sorry, I… fuck."

"Would you calm down?" Jack's pain seemed to be subsiding, and he sighed and approached the panicking brunet with placating hands, smiling gently in an effort to reassure him. "I'm fine, alright? It was just a… makeout mishap?"

In spite of the situation, Hiccup managed to crack a smile at the remark, laughing shallowly with still-wide eyes. "A 'makeout mishap'. That. That's, uh." He laughed a few more times and Jack laughed with him, smiling triumphantly at having said something that was clearly the _cleverest _thing ever. "So… I guess we're not very good at that, are we?"

Jack snorted. "Doesn't look like it."

"And no one was surprised."

"Pft, speak for yourself!" Jack retorted, smirking cockily. "I totally expected I'd be a pro at it."

"Right, because you definitely weren't shaking like a leaf a few moments ago." Hiccup replied with a sardonic lilt.

"Okay fine, we both clearly suck at kissing. I won't tell if you won't."

While Jack was chuckling and smiling at the situation, the mention of 'telling people' had reminded Hiccup of a very, very important little fact. And his silence seemed to tip off Jack as well, his laughs quieting after a few moments of consideration.

"…_Are_ we telling anyone?" Jack asked after a while.

Hiccup took in a breath. "I… I'm not so sure about that."

"Understandable." Jack replied quickly.

"I mean…" Hiccup sighed and ran a hand through his hair again, his brow creasing. "We've only, you know, just started and all. Seems a little premature to tell people about it…"

Jack nodded slowly, not entirely objecting either, though he did feel there was some other reason behind Hiccup's sudden trepidation. "Yeah, I. I'm cool with that, Hiccup. You're right, really. We're still, er, figuring this out,"

"Figuring this out, yeah," Hiccup supplied, talking over Jack's words and offering a hangdog expression. "Although, I should probably mention that Astrid and Fishlegs sort of already know that I… you know. Have a thing for you."

Jack raised an eyebrow at this. "Do they now?"

The green-eyed boy sighed and nodded. "Astrid sort of figured it out on her own and forced it out of me. Fishlegs was at least polite enough to just ask."

"Ahahah, that's… welp. And you still don't want to tell them?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to answer, but instead simply took a breath and closed it again. He stared pensively at the floor, clearly at war with himself over something. "I don't know. I feel like Astrid would probably kill me if I didn't tell her right away, but…"

"But you still don't really want to." Jack finished for him, nodding supportively.

"No, I- Okay, I actually _do_, it's just. Well, we both agreed that we're still kind of figuring this out, right? I don't know if I want to tell her something is going on if we're not even sure yet what that something is."

Jack had to admit; there was something a little off about how uncertain Hiccup was behaving – after all, much as this may have been new territory for him just as much as for Hiccup, Jack had very few doubts regarding what he actually wanted with Hiccup. He had, after all, made the decision to risk all his insecurities on this. It almost hurt a little to see Hiccup so… uncommitted, he guessed, but he also had no way of knowing what was running through Hiccup's head. He certainly wasn't about to make assumptions.

Settling his hands on the other boy's thin shoulders and squeezing lightly, Jack gave him his best smile. "Hic, it's alright. We can worry about telling people if and when we decide there's something to talk about, alright? I'm good with keeping quiet." Besides, Jack supposed, it wasn't like he had no modesty at all; the idea of telling his own family didn't seem entirely inviting right at the moment, either.

Hiccup returned Jack's smile with one of his own, a soft, thankful expression, and he lifted one of his hands to rest atop Jack's on his shoulder. "Thanks. I just think we should take some time, you know?"

"Yeah, I got it." Jack assured, enjoying the warmth of his friend's palm.

"So I guess there's no fear of either of us telling anyone else how terrible we are at kissing, right?" Hiccup joked, trying to lighten the situation.

Jack offered a mischievous grin in response, leaning a little closer. "Well hey, we may be bad now, but you know what they say." He ignored the warmth that returned to his cheeks as he shuffled his feet in the carpet. "Practice makes perfect?"

Hiccup very quietly snickered at the remark. "You seriously want to try again?"

"Don't you?"

The brunet glanced away and shrugged. "…I do."

"Good." Jack answered happily. "Promise not to bite me this time?"

The brunet brought a palm to his face and sighed deeply. "You really had to remind me of that?"

"Oh like you weren't already thinking about it." Jack teased.

Dropping his hand, Hiccup glowered at the other boy for an instant, taking in the shit-eating expression he wore, before abruptly bringing his hands up to cup pale cheeks, pulling Jack forward and pressing his lips firmly against his own.

Jack made a noise of clear surprise, hands leaving Hiccup's shoulders to flail a bit at the sudden shift in balance, but it didn't take long before he was letting his eyes slip closed and allowed Hiccup to do as he would, arms settling themselves around the brunet's waist. He angled his chin more this time, effectively avoiding the butting of heads which had occurred before, and opened his mouth eagerly when Hiccup pressed his tongue forward.

Hearts beat in rapid tandem as this time, it was apparent that the two had learned from their previous mistakes and they were able to truly relish the experience. Hiccup could feel hot breath against his upper lip when Jack released a quivering exhale, his hands tightening around Hiccup's hips. It filled his chest with such a… such a _feeling_. It was indescribable. Here at last he had Jack so _close_ and _firm_ up against him, just as nervous and excited as he was, their tongues tangling together sloppily, still getting the hang of the mechanics behind the action but learning quickly. There was such a charge of elation, deep within, as Hiccup lost himself to these sensations, the same jubilance he felt when Jack had kissed him for that first, brief time earlier. It was in the midst of this feeling that his hidden thoughts resurfaced and pushed themselves toward the forefront of his mind; this feeling, the sensations, the perfect feeling of wholeness…

_I really have completely fallen for him_, he thought, and felt a strange mix of happiness and fear. Happiness that he was feeling this, and that he could feel this with Jack, only escalating when the white-haired boy pressed himself closer and more firmly against him. But fear over the true nature of his feelings – a sort of embarrassment regarding how Jack might feel if he learned how deeply Hiccup really felt for him. Would he think it strange? Too sudden?

These worries practically flew out the window when Jack unexpectedly tightened his grip and pushed closer still, dipping their bodies a bit and releasing a light moan into Hiccup's mouth.

_Oh._ Okay then. Hiccup moved his hands up to Jack's hair, feeling as though he might have been losing his head a bit but not having the will to care in light of the tingly, warm feeling in his stomach.

"Jaaaaack!"

At the sound of Mary's voice from down the hall, followed by the telltale sound of approaching footsteps, both boys' eyes snapped open and they practically threw each other away from them, catching their breath and frantically straightening themselves out – they hadn't really done much, but still, the flushed faces and mussed hair could be a bit of a giveaway.

"Y-yeah?" Jack called through his door, standing up straight and coughing, sending a grimace Hiccup's way (who simply shrugged in response and took a seat on Jack's bed, trying to look natural).

The door clicked open a moment later, Mary poking her head in and Toothless swiftly darting through the opening to survey the unfamiliar space. Mary gave the two of them a blinking look for a moment, and Hiccup had a flash of worry that she would somehow figure out what they had been doing, but her attention was quickly drawn to the half-completed model on the floor, her eyes lightning up.

"Oh! You built this?"

"Oh, yeah," Jack answered, smiling at it as she entered the room and stooped to get a better look. "Pretty good so far, huh?"

"Yeah!" she agreed, eyeing the details with wonder.

Toothless hopped up on Jack's bed, sidling up to Hiccup and purring to grab the brunet's attention. He grinned. "Hey there, bud. Having fun with Mary?"

"He likes me a lot." Mary preened, lifting her head proudly and closing her eyes. "He kept wanting to cuddle on my bed and play with me."

"Well!" Hiccup replied, laughing. "Sounds like he likes you better than he likes Jack."

Jack glared when Hiccup and Mary laughed at his expense. "Wonderful. Anyway, what did you need, squirt?"

"Oh yeah," Mary stood from her crouch and met her brother's eyes. "Daddy said you were supposed to put the chicken in the oven at six. And it's six. I wanted to make sure you didn't forget."

"Oh, right." Jack replied, slapping his forehead and chuckling. "Yeah, sorry, I uh…" A brief glance was passed between him and Hiccup. "I lost track of time."

After a scolding from Mary, Jack excused himself to go handle the chicken situation, leaving Hiccup alone in his room to stew in his thoughts. He gave Toothless some absent scratching, glancing down at his feline companion to see a sort of interested look on that face. Well, as interested as a cat could make itself appear (though Hiccup had always found Toothless to be rather expressive). He gave his friend a reassuring smile while he attempted to bring his heart rate under control.

He had just been making out with Jack. He, and Jack, had made out. They kissed and pressed closely together and _holy crap this was a thing that was really happening._ Hiccup felt like his belly was dropping out inside him, exhilarated and antsy all at once and unquestionably happy. But of course, chaotic though they were, his thoughts managed to focus and wander back to that situation he had just been rather heavily involved in. He and Jack… he was almost certain they were getting ahead of themselves already. They had _just_ come clean about their feelings for one another, and already things felt like they had started getting rather heavy. It was almost worrisome to think about what might have happened if Mary hadn't interrupted them. Hiccup wasn't dumb – he knew how he had been feeling in the moment, and he most certainly recognized that somewhat-too-welcome heat that had started to fill him.

Toothless butted his head against the boy's arm, and he coughed in reply, refusing to meet the cat's eyes.

Jack wasn't gone for very long. Within minutes he reappeared back in the room with an apologetic smile and sat quietly next to Hiccup, kicking his feet a bit before chuckling.

"So that was close, huh?"

Hiccup smiled at him. "A bit, yeah."

"Kind of forgot we weren't alone here."

"Right… uh, so, this seems like an awkward thing to bring up, but I think maybe it needs to be talked about?"

Jack blinked a few times and shuffled a little closer, looking as attentive as he could manage. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

"Er… Well, I was just thinking that, uhm. Well, if we're gonna do this, maybe we should try to take things slow?"

Blue eyes widened a fraction at the implication of the words, and Jack nodded slowly. "Right, right… Yeah, that's probably a good idea. Wow, uh, sorry, I-"

Hiccup gave him a light smack in the arm and rolled his eyes. "Don't apologize, it's not like you're solely to blame. That was, uh, definitely a dual effort. And I mean, I'm not saying we can't, you know, kiss or anything," he mumbled, still feeling slightly awkward talking about this sort of thing out loud.

Jack simply nodded. "We should just maybe not get so… heavy?"

"Not so soon, anyway." Hiccup affirmed with a smile.

"Makes sense."

"So! How about we finish this ship then, yeah?" Hiccup suggested, standing from the bed and making his way back to the model, quietly waiting on the floor.

Jack smiled warmly. "Sounds like a plan."

.

* * *

.

The remaining hour of work managed to pass in a way that Hiccup could only really describe as 'normal'. He and Jack resumed their efforts on the ship, carefully following directions and delicately attaching boards and other small parts, filling the silence with jokes and their usual variety of conversation. Hiccup had to admit, he was incredibly pleased with how natural it felt – to be able to keep on with what had become their usual routine so effortlessly, as though nothing had really changed, in spite of the awareness of romantic feelings between them. It was gratifying in a way that Hiccup couldn't fully describe.

He and Jack had kept their hands to themselves, as well, though with the bedroom door now open and Mary popping by now and then, it wouldn't exactly have been a good idea to do otherwise.

Hiccup swept an arm across his brow and grinned triumphantly when the completed model was set out before them, all pieces glued into place properly and no major mishaps in the construction. Jack knocked their shoulders together, sharing in the victory.

"It looks really great. I was half expecting that the box would be misleading and it wouldn't look nearly as awesome as that." Jack remarked with his usual grin.

"Well you did say you got it from The Blank Canvas. They aren't known to skimp on quality. Definitely one of the few neat places in this town."

Jack offered a quizzical look. "Few? I dunno about you, Hic, but Berk seems to have a lot of awesome things based on my time here so far."

The other boy merely laughed off the comment with a slight roll of the eyes. "If you say so, Jack."

Deciding not to dwell on the matter, Jack happily stood up and delicately took the completed longboat in his hands, settling it comfortably onto a space on his shelf. "There! Now I can always see it."

Hiccup smiled up at him before standing as well, nodding at the nicely chosen spot, prominently visible. "A regular conversation starter." he agreed, hands on his hips.

"And every time I look at it, I can think of today." Jack cooed, wagging his brows at Hiccup, who simply laughed and shoved the other boy lightly in the side. "Whaaaat?"

"You're a dork, Jack."

"Oh like _you're_ one to talk."

"What, me? A dork? Pleeeease." Hiccup waved him off, a jovial expression on his face. "I don't make weird comments and say dumb things. No siree, I know how to keep my mouth shut."

"Okay, one: that is a blatant lie." Jack replied. "You got a reeeeal sassy mouth, Hiccup, and I'm pretty sure you can't go five minutes without using it."

Said sassy boy blinked.

"And two: …Okay, I dunno where I was going with this, but the point is you're definitely the dorky one between the two of us."

Hiccup was about to fire a quick-witted retort when Marry suddenly appeared in Jack's doorway, peeking around the opening and smiling brightly. "Dad's home, Jack. Is Hiccup staying for dinner?"

Jack glanced from his sister to the brunet boy, leveling a questioning stare at him.

"Ah, no, I should actually get going," Hiccup replied. "My dad expected me home tonight, come to think of it."

"Kay! I'll let him know." And with that the girl was gone, tearing off down the hall. Listening to the air, the two boys could hear the sounds of North's booming laughs and Mary's squeals of delight – he must have been tickling her or something.

Jack and Hiccup returned their attentions to one another, quietly offering fond smiles as they simply stood there. Jack had taken to rocking on his heels again, while Hiccup fiddled with his sleeves.

"So I guess I'll see you later, then?" Jack asked, voice soft.

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah, of course."

The brunet then made quick work of gathering what few things he'd brought – namely his shoes and Toothless – before making his way towards Jack's door, Toothless hopping off the bed to follow, and Hiccup had been expecting Jack to do so as well. What he _hadn't_ expected was for Jack to suddenly snag his wrist in his grasp and pull him away from the door, spinning him towards himself and quite abruptly settling his lips onto Hiccup's.

Hiccup quietly gasped at the feeling, eyes closing on their own as the two held their positions, simply pressing their lips against each other until Jack finally broke the contact, smiling and pulling away.

"Well that was sudden." Hiccup managed, snickering a bit.

"Sorry." Jack murmured. "I know you said to take things slow, but, I mean we both know we like each other, so I kind of wonder why we should be so… I dunno, hesitant about it?" He seemed rather entertained as he offered a lopsided smile. "I mean, when you think about all the time we've been spending together up till now… ahaha, stop me if I'm being stupid, please, but it kinda almost feels like we've already been dating."

This managed to coax a few matching chuckles from the freckled boy's throat, and he offered Jack a sympathetic smile and fought back how much he knew he really wanted to smash their faces together again.

"I know, Jack, trust me. I know. But you gotta remember… this _is_ still something I think we should work on gradually. Like I said before, I've never really been in a relationship, and I just don't want to rush things." _And when I think about the idea of making this a solid, real thing and going public with it, it terrifies me more than anything._ "So let's just keep our heads, alright?"

Jack inclined his head, sighing in a somewhat defeated manner, though not necessarily with disappointment. "Yeah, I understand. And I know what you mean, really. I guess I'm just not as good at being rational about it."

"I wouldn't peg rationality as being your strong suit, no." Hiccup quipped, receiving a jab in the gut in response.

"Can it, dragon boy."

The two shared in a laugh as they pulled themselves apart, quietly thankful that Mary or North hadn't popped by to check in on them. Hiccup had a brief moment of consideration as he slipped his feet into his shoes, smiling after a second or two.

"Hey Jack?"

"Yeah?" the other boy replied, returning his gaze from its wandering back to Hiccup's face, hands pocketed.

"Leave tomorrow open." Hiccup instructed, biting his lip. "There's somewhere I want to take you."

Jack stared for a moment before a large, enthused grin broke out on his face. "Definitely."

The two made their way downstairs then, Hiccup stopping to grab his coat and to say hello to North on his way out (much to the man's delight) before heading toward the door, Jack stepping out with him. They stopped on the doorstep, a strange, end-of-date sort of feeling settling over them (which caused Jack to chuckle, of course). The taller teen gave a quick glance around the area, seeing that the sun had already set and the neighborhood was rather dim, before leaning in and offering Hiccup a quick peck on the lips (Hiccup, admittedly, had sort of seen it coming).

He offered him a smirk. "I'm finally able to kiss you." he explained quietly, a touch of shyness in his words. "Can you blame me for wanting to take advantage of that when I can?"

The slight, disbelieving (and woefully unmanly) giggle the brunet responded with indicated that he certainly wasn't about to complain.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jack."

Jack nodded. "See you."

As Hiccup moved down the driveway and onto the sidewalk, he constantly tossed looks over his shoulder, refusing to break eye contact with Jack for longer than a few seconds at a time, before he finally had to turn the corner and was out of sight.

He sighed to himself, a love-struck grin plastering itself onto his face, and glanced down at Toothless only to find his furry companion looking at him almost knowingly. If cats had eyebrows, Hiccup was sure that Toothless would have been wagging his.

"Pft- What?" Hiccup spat out, glancing away and feeling an odd mixture of giddiness and embarrassment in his belly. He swore he heard Toothless scoff.

.

* * *

.

When Hiccup arrived home, practically with a spring in his step, he was fairly confident that nothing was going to bring him down, no matter what it was that Stoick apparently had in mind for him. As such, he was rather pleased when he arrived to see lights strewn up on the outside of his house, twinkling in reds and blues and greens, and a festive wreathe hung up on his front door. He smiled brightly and quickly made for said door, swinging it open and nearly tripping over Toothless as the cat weaved through his legs to investigate what had changed.

Stoick had clearly been pretty busy today. The living room had practically transformed, with furniture rearranged, vibrant red cloths strewn over end tables and coffee tables, candles set out and garlands draped across the walls. One of the room corners had been cleared out in preparation for a tree, which Hiccup and Stoick would no doubt be obtaining later. As for the large, normally intimidating man, Stoick was presently perched on the stairs, winding lights about the banister. He looked up from his work when Hiccup stepped inside, offering a welcoming smile behind his impressive beard.

"Ah, son! You're home earlier than I thought you'd be."

Hiccup met the smile with one of his own, infected with an irresistible cheer. "Yeah, well, I remember you said you wanted me back, so here I am. Need a hand with those?"

Before Stoick could answer (an answer which would undoubtedly be a yes), the auburn youth was already heading for the stairs and plucking up a strand of lights, starting at the opposite end from his father. Stoick gave an appreciative nod, eyebrows raised in mild surprise at how agreeable Hiccup was acting.

"You seem to be in good spirits." he remarked, chuckling lowly as he resumed his work.

"Yep." was his son's simple response, that light smile still brightening his features as he set to his own task.

"That's good." Stoick nodded. This was indeed pleasant news; with Hiccup's mood apparently being so affable, it would likely make the matter of the incoming discussion easier to get through. Still, Stoick intended to approach it with tact, and wasn't about to bust open that can of worms right away. "I'm thinking we can hit the tree lot tomorrow and pick something out. What do you think?"

Hiccup seemed to hesitate for a moment, his hands faltering on the light string, but he shrugged a moment later. "In the evening?"

"That's what I was thinking."

"Then yeah, that's fine." the boy nodded, satisfied.

"More plans tomorrow?" Stoick asked, genuinely interested in what Hiccup and his friends were doing lately that kept him so busy.

"Basically, yeah." The smaller Haddock maintained his cheery exterior, though it was already beginning to fade to nervousness under the surface; Stoick asking too many questions about his activities, especially in light of _today_ wasn't exactly something Hiccup was heavily keen on.

"And how was today?" Stoick went on, eyes on the bundle of lights in his hands, as though to seem only casually interested. "Something happen to have you in such a good mood?"

"Ah, aha, not really, no." Hiccup replied, but Stoick easily noticed how his shoulders grew more tense. That boy honestly had quite a few tells, when Stoick was watching for them. "Just, you know, in the festive spirit of things."

"Oh? Well what were you up to today, then?" Stoick tried, still keeping his tone even and friendly, certainly not trying to seem as though he was interrogating the boy.

"Nothing much. Me and Jack hung out a bit, built a model that he bought, pretty uneventful stuff."

Stoick let out a quiet sigh. Hiccup was being very nondescript, as usual, and that genuine happiness he had walked through the door with seemed very faked now. It was clear that he was already starting to withdraw, and Stoick wasn't about to let it happen this time. So, he gently put his load of Christmas lights down, took a breath, and straightened himself up.

"Stop with the lights for now, Hiccup. And have a seat." he instructed, gesturing at the couch, chairs, or other many places Hiccup could plop himself down upon in the living room.

Hiccup's shoulders went rigid and he stared up at his dad, clear apprehension on his face now. "…Am I in trouble?"

This actually had Stoick laughing, a low rumble in his chest, and shaking his large head. "No, you're not in trouble. I just think it's high time you and I had a talk."

"Uh… alright." Hesitantly, Hiccup set down his bundle of lights and did as he was bidden, settling himself into a comfortable armchair and drawing his arms in closely, a definite subconscious act of putting up a wall.

Stoick took a deep breath and clapped his hands together, stepping off the stairs and situating himself onto the adjacent couch. He leaned forward, arms braced on his knees, in an effort to not look quite _as_ large as usual.

"Well." he began, clearing his throat. "I've been meaning to have this talk for some time now. And, before we start," He raised one of his hands reassuringly, head inclined and bushy brows raised to try and appear as disarming as possible. "I want to make it clear that I just want honesty, Hiccup. I'm going to do my best to be…" he grumbled somewhat to himself, and Hiccup had the impression of watching a fish flop futilely on dry land; Stoick definitely seemed out of his element. "I am going to try and be as understanding as possible." he finally stated, nodding in apparent satisfaction. "And I'm going to listen to everything you have to say. And in return, I expect you to listen to me. Deal?"

Hiccup, still completely unsure of what this was all about, nodded slowly. "Uh… sure. Deal."

"Good." Stoick took another moment to gather himself, stroking his beard thoughtfully and nodding as though some voice in his head had just made a good point. "I'll go ahead and start us, then. Do you remember when you brought me that letter from your uncle?"

"Yeah, sure I do. Wasn't that long ago." Hiccup affirmed, raising a questioning brow.

Stoick sighed. "Well. I'm just going to tell you; that letter was a bet, a challenge, from your uncle to me. He was goin' on about how you were unfit to inherit my position in town because you're…" Stoick made a few vague gestures at Hiccup, but then shook his head quickly a moment later. "Because you aren't involved in sports, or labor around town, or any of the other things your cousin is involved in."

Hiccup blinked blankly. "Sooo… those questions you'd been asking, about me getting involved with sports…"

"Yes." Stoick stated simply, and to his credit he did seem apologetic. "And… I'm sorry, if I pushed you."

The teen would be lying if he said he wasn't at all offended by what he was hearing. Sure, he knew how much most people in town, his dad included, valued the brawny, but even still… But at the same time, he could see very clearly, much to his amazement, that Stoick was clearly trying here, seemingly attempting to make things right. And in the end, he couldn't say he was any sort of surprised to be learning the details of that letter. If anything, he was just resignedly acceptant about it.

"…What exactly was the, uh, bet?" he asked.

Stoick sighed. "He proposed that if you hadn't put some kind of athletic accomplishment under your belt by the time you graduated, then you'd be 'proven' as being unfit. And it wasn't just a bet as much as an open challenge – he made sure as many people at the docks knew about this as possible, so that if I accepted I'd be forced to admit I was wrong if you… didn't deliver," he stated the words with a sense of disdain, as though he himself was actually offended on Hiccup's behalf that this situation had unfolded to begin with. Hiccup had to admit, he appreciated that. "And if I _didn't_ accept, I'd lose face in front of the men."

"So what did you do then?"

This time, Stoick met Hiccup's eye very solemnly. "I haven't given a response yet. And that's what this is about, Hiccup; I've, ah… I've been thinking."

Hiccup swallowed. "Yeah?"

The large man broke the eye contact and glanced down, scratching his head and looking deflated, remorseful. It was a strange look to see on his father.

"I've decided that the only factor that should matter here is what it is _you_ want to do, son. So, I want an honest answer, and I'll accept it no matter what it is. So tell me truthfully, Hiccup; do you even want to be mayor?"

Hiccup faltered. For as long as he'd been alive, it seemed, the whole idea of eventually taking Stoick's place as Berk's Mayor – as 'The Chief' – just seemed to be what was expected of him. People talked about it all the time, Stoick spoke of it as though it were inevitable, and not once could he recall someone actually asking _him_ what his feelings were on it. Not until now.

He didn't want to give the wrong answer, that was his first instinct. But his second was to consider the sincerity that his father was leveling at him, the expectancy for honesty, and how far out Stoick was already reaching. The _least_ Hiccup could do was meet him half way.

So, he took a deep breath, slid a little further down in his seat, and spoke. "No, dad. I really don't. I… I never really have."

The expression on Stoick's face was interesting, to say the least. Hiccup couldn't decide if he looked more disappointed by what he heard, or more pleased that Hiccup had given him the truth.

"Well, that… I said I'd be honest, Hiccup, so I won't lie to you. I wish that that weren't the case." Hiccup settled his eyes on his lap, feeling like an iron weight has been dropped in his stomach. "But," Stoick continued, and forest green eyes lifted hopefully at the happier tone. "I'm glad you told me. And I stick by my guns – what's important is what makes you happy, and if being mayor won't do that, then you're right not to want it."

Hiccup could hardly believe his ears, eyes widening and mouth gaping ever so slightly. "Dad… uh, wow."

The large, intimidating man offered his son a warm smile. "I'll tell Spitelout tomorrow, face to face, that I refuse his challenge. Consequences be damned."

At this, a bewildered smile fell upon Hiccup's face, and he even laughed a couple of hollow, shocked laughs. "I. Wow. I'm not… thank you."

"But we're not done here." Stoick continued, his tone growing a bit more sober.

_Oooooof course,_ Hiccup inwardly sighed. "We're not?"

"Hiccup, do you remember the last time you and I had a talk? About the whole Mildew business?"

Hiccup grimaced. "Yeah."

"And do you remember how I told you that I wanted you to talk to me from now on, and to stop holding things in?"

"Yes, dad."

"Then why do I feel like lately all you've done is avoid me? There's been somethin' weighin' on your mind for weeks now, and you never say a word. I ask you about your day and you clam right up, I ask you how you're feelin' and you don't say a word, I feel like somethin' heavy is troublin' you but you never ask for help!" Stoick rattled off, somewhat exasperatedly, and Hiccup noted how his accent seemed a little thicker when he was in this sort of mood.

"Maybe because it seems like you're disappointed in everything I do?" Hiccup spat suddenly, feeling just a bit of ire. "Or because as much as you always say you want me to talk to you, you never seem happy with whatever it is I'm actually doing or involved in? Because as much as you claim you want to hear about me, you almost never really listen, dad."

Well. He wasn't entirely sure where that had come from. But now that he'd said it, he felt like he only wanted to say more, frustrations and anger that had gradually been building seeking to spill out.

Stoick seemed a bit taken aback as well, his expression clearly surprised. "What are you-?"

"Oh, come on dad!" Hiccup cut him off, glowering as he looked up and set his shoulders. "Do you realize that today is the first time you've ever actually _asked_ me if I wanted to become Berk's mayor? Up until now you always just assumed that that's what I'd do. And do you know how many times you've asked me what was going on in school, and how many times I've _told_ you, only for you to forget days later? Because it's a lot, dad." Stoick looked like he wanted to say something but Hiccup was on his feet now, and wasn't about to stop, or else risk losing the courage to keep speaking his mind. "You never take interest in things I've been doing for _years_, you seem to tune out anything that isn't sports-related, and you won't even talk about mom around me!"

Stoick's mouth hung open, evident shock on his features as Hiccup ranted at him.

"And then you get mad that I don't talk to you? Well can you honestly blame me, dad?"

"And you think I'm alone in this?" Stoick shot back, his demeanor darkening.

"What?" Hiccup faltered, unsure of his father's meaning.

"You think that I'm completely to blame for it?" he clarified, standing as well and staring the smaller boy down. "Like I don't give you opportunities to tell me these things? You know, maybe I haven't been the best father – I'm _sorry_, Hiccup – but you haven't made it easy on me." He spoke almost accusingly, one broad hand slapped upon his chest. "You're right; I've never asked you what you thought about the mayoral position, and I should have! But do you _really_ think that _I_ haven't been tryin'? Every time I try to get in your head, you shut me out! You never tell me what's goin' on; Odin's beard, Hiccup, you don't even tell me what you and your friends do all the time when you're out and about! And speaking of that, you seem more'n'more eager lately to," he waved his hand wildly at the door, "to just, get out of the house, every chance you get, as far away from me as possible! You don't even try with me, but it's somehow all my fault?"

"How can you expect me to want to try if I know anything I say will just go in one ear and out the other?" Hiccup retorted hotly, fists clenching. "Or better yet, when you'll just deride anything I _do_ tell you!"

The two stared at each other, an incredibly thick silence between them; the conflict of emotions could be plainly seen on their faces. Both looked angry, affronted, and vindicated, and yet clearly hurt, and also guilty. The two had lain out, loud and clear, the misgivings they held for one another, and while both had been clearly accusatory, they couldn't simply ignore what the other said.

_He's right._

The thought echoed in both of their minds, shared between the two, and as the silence persisted, their stubborn walls began to subside. Postures slowly began to relax, and the angry demand for justice seemed to have fled from them both; now they were simply left feeling lousy about themselves, finally made to recognize how they had hurt the other.

Hiccup had never stopped to consider just how badly his actions affected his father – the man was always so strong, silent, and firm, it was easy to forget that something as small as refusing to speak to him could upset him so much. He hadn't even considered that his father had started picking up on his frequent absences from the house, and was feeling like Hiccup wanted nothing to do with him as a consequence. These notions had never once even crossed the brunet's mind, and that was what made him feel the shittiest with himself; of _course_ his father would care about this stuff. Stubborn and misunderstanding though he may have been, he still loved Hiccup. Very much, in fact, and Hiccup felt positively scummy with the realization that he had perhaps forgotten, or possibly just ignored, that his father _actually_ cared a great deal.

And of course, Stoick had to face the rude awakening that was all of his missteps with Hiccup tossed boldly into the spotlight. He ran through past conversations in his head, realizing with a sense of mortification how right Hiccup was. How many times had Hiccup told him about some school function he was attending, only for Stoick to fail to acknowledge it? Hadn't he just recently filmed a football game for his school, come to think of it? And now Stoick recalled that the only thing _he'd_ been thinking about was how unfortunate it was that Hiccup was simply filming, rather than playing. What kind of father thought that way? And Hiccup had been completely right, no matter how Stoick tried to deflect it; he should have long since asked for Hiccup's real feelings on whether or not he wanted to inherit Stoick's position. He could only imagine the pressure he must have felt, pressure that Stoick constantly rested on his shoulders, for a future he wanted nothing to do with.

The two Haddock men stood in their silence, and all either of them could think about was how poor of an example they were, both as a father and as a son.

A sharp prick at his ankle caused Hiccup to wince and glance down, finding Toothless. The Burmese had his claws prodding at Hiccup's ankle and was practically _glaring_.It was as though he was warning Hiccup to get his ass in gear and _fix this_.Hiccup swallowed.

"Dad… I'm sorry."

"You shouldn't be apologizing." Stoick replied, shaking his head sadly and bringing two large fingers to massage the bridge of his nose. "I should be. I did this, after all."

"Dad, no, you-" A sigh. "You're right. You weren't alone in this. I haven't exactly been the most compliant with the whole, talking, thing. Ever since mom died it's just been... messed up. And I'm sorry if I made you feel like I didn't want to be around you."

Stoick stepped forward and kneeled before his son, resting a massive hand on his shoulder and squeezing as gently as he could. "And I'm sorry that you've never felt like you could speak to me about anything. That's no way for a father to make his son feel. And I want to make that _right_, Hiccup."

A small smile was managed from the teenager, his brow creasing apologetically as he shrugged. "I'd like that too, dad."

"Then let's start here." Stoick decided, latching onto a yet unaddressed point Hiccup had brought up. "…Do you want to talk about your mother?"

The question caught Hiccup off guard, and his face became devoid of expression for a moment. And then, his eyelids dropped a bit and he shook his head. "Not right at the moment, no. It's just… You act like no one is allowed to say a word about her around you. You never leave any pictures of her around the house, either – for years all I've had is the one in my room. I don't know what you've done with all the rest. And I hate that, dad. I really do. I don't… It hurts, alright? It hurts like hell, but I don't want to _forget_ it."

Stoick hung his head mournfully, his hand falling away from Hiccup. "It does hurt." he spoke softly, eyes slipping closed. "So much that I can hardly bare it, even after all this time. It's hard on me, Hiccup."

"And I'm sorry about that. But she was as much my mother as she was your wife." Hiccup spoke as gently as possible, knowing he was breeching delicate waters. "And I loved her just as much. I just wish I could talk about her with you, and see her around the house, because maybe then it'd feel more like it used to, before she…"

"I know." Stoick exhaled, steadying himself. "And I shouldn't… keep these things, from you. You're right. This should be something we can talk about, if you need to."

Hiccup nodded quietly, unsure what to say.

"I have more to ask you, Hiccup." Stoick added, seeming to want to change the topic for now (to which Hiccup didn't object) and getting back on his feet.

The boy glanced up, unsure. "Sure, dad. What else?"

"If you don't want to be mayor, if you've got all of these other interests you never talk about; what are they? What exactly _do_ you want to do?" Stoick asked, fixing his son with an earnest look.

Hiccup's mouth felt dry, and he was unsure of exactly how he should respond. The long-standing impulse to lie or change the subject was still strong, but he fought it back, knowing that that was exactly what had built the gap between him and Stoick in the first place.

He took a breath. "I want to be an artist."

At this, Stoick simply stared, blinking as though he'd just stepped into the light after several hours of darkness. "Art?"

Hiccup took in his expression, and was relieved to see that he didn't exactly seem put off at all. Perhaps somewhat perplexed?

"Yeah. It's what I want to do. I'm really, uh. Really into it." Hiccup felt incredibly awkward to finally confess this, his posture drawing in on itself again as though attempting to rebuild the walls.

"Well, that's… I don't see it as a problem." Stoick grumbled, hands on his hips as he searched for words. "I hear it's hard to be successful in that field, though. Are you prepared for that?"

Another prod at his ankle had Hiccup hissing, and he glowered down at his cat who was continuing to stab him now, seeming to try and urge him toward something. When Toothless suddenly turned and darted up the stairs (Stoick staring after the cat confusedly), Hiccup finally got the idea. A subtle sense of dread coiled heavily in his stomach, a viper threatening to bite at any moment, but he sucked in a deep inhale and steeled himself. _Might as well go_ _through with it._

"I can show you some of my work. If you want."

Struck with clear astonishment at the invitation, Stoick could only nod in response. Hiccup turned quickly and made for the stairs, trying to move as quickly as possible so that he wouldn't have time to change his mind. Stoick's heavy steps sounded closely behind, indicating his follow. When the two arrived in Hiccup's mostly-tidy room, Hiccup's nerves had morphed into a small form of excitement, as though he was now just as much afraid as he was eager to show off what he could do, finally having his father's full attention.

Stoick didn't know what to expect when Hiccup pulled out the first sketchbook, and he definitely wasn't expecting a second, fourth, or seventh to join the pile. He wasn't expecting Hiccup to suddenly produce canvases, hidden in his closet or in cabinet drawers. And when he started flipping through pages of drawings, some being very basic sketches, some being careful line work, and others being full-blown illustrations in full color, he wasn't expecting to actually be _impressed_ with what he saw (and he certainly felt lousy about the fact that he truly hadn't expected it). Stoick could hardly call himself an artist, not by any stretch of the word, and maybe he didn't have the best eye for art, either.

But looking through his son's work, he honestly felt almost at awe with what he was capable of, with what he'd been keeping hidden. And then he looked over portraits he'd painted on canvas, and his jaw legitimately dropped when he saw a few of them. There were paintings of all sorts of things, of people he knew, friends he had (he spotted Astrid, Fishlegs, and a _remarkable_ portrait of Jack), but the one that truly caught his attention was a landscape that Stoick would recognize anywhere.

Berk.

The woods, the houses, the snow that hung delicately on rooftops as the sun filtered through the clouds, sparkling off of the ice crystals and the distant sea. The level of detail and realism present was so incredible that if it had been a few yards away, Stoick might have wondered if he was looking at a photo.

He turned away from the painting to look at his son, all hunched and curled in on himself, eyes fixed on the carpet as though waiting for some sort of disapproval.

"Hiccup." he said, grabbing his son's attention as he gently set the landscape down.

He was met with wide, curious green eyes. "Yeah?"

"I, I never…" Stoick searched for his words, smoothing a hand across his forehead. "I'd seen you drawing in sketchbooks before, now and then, but I always just thought it was a hobby. I never imagined that you…" he trailed off, gesturing vaguely at the works of art Hiccup had pulled out for him. He cracked a smile. "If I'd have known you had this kind of talent, I'd have been hanging these up around the house."

Hiccup almost blanched. "You–, I, are you serious?"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Stoick questioned, setting his hands firmly on his hips and giving his son a stern look for effect. Hiccup cracked a smile and Stoick heard a quiet laugh. "I mean it, Hiccup. These are… well, true works of art." He smiled softly at his son, a warm, heavy feeling welling up inside him.

"Well…" Hiccup spoke up, mildly hesitant. "Then maybe I should tell you I entered into an art showcase."

"…a showcase?"

Hiccup nodded. "Yeah. I've been taking art class in school since middle school, and my teacher – Ms. Zabek, you've met her – she suggested to me this year that I enter the United Artists Royal Showcase." he explained, offering vague hand gestures. "It's this art show that started over in the U.K., and then branched out to other places. Basically they travel all over the country and make different stops, and for each stop they have people in the local, nearby states submit work to be showcased. It gets judged by a bunch of important art critics."

Stoick wore an expression of clear, actual _interest_ as Hiccup spoke, and it made the brunet boy feel truly important in the eyes of his father for the first time in a long while. It gave him confidence, seeing that expression, and when Stoick waved a hand in an attempt to urge him to continue, Hiccup no longer felt reserved to oblige.

"Well, as it turns out, the work I submitted is actually going on center display at the gallery."

"That… is that good?" Stoick asked, and Hiccup chuckled.

"Well, sort of." he admitted. "It's actually a really huge honor, but… The pieces that go on center get graded a lot more harshly than the other works. And I mean, if I do really well, I could actually get a scholarship to this really big-name art college-"

Hiccup was suddenly cut off by a loud cheer from Stoick, a vast, enthused grin on his features at this news. "You mean to tell me you've been goin' after a scholarship and never told me? Hiccup! That's important news!"

Hiccup offered a sheepish smile. "I think we've sort of established why the lack of communication has been a thing."

Stoick seemed to remember himself, and nodded somewhat solemnly. "Well, in any case, I get the feeling that you're not entirely pleased about it somehow."

Hiccup sighed. "I'm just… worried, I guess. I mean…" Gods this felt so weird, actually _telling_ Stoick all of this, but he had been so very (surprisingly) accepting of all of this so far that Hiccup didn't see why he should keep holding back. "This showcase is going to have works submitted from _tons_ of different artists, dad, and I'm really worried I won't be good enough. It's like you said, it's not really easy to make it in art, and this is a pretty big deal to me." He all but mumbled as he spoke, but Stoick caught it all.

"I don't want to hear you talking like that." Stoick stated, loud and firm. Hiccup met his gaze only for Stoick to grab him by the shoulders and pull him close, offering his son a hug that doubled as an apology. "Listen, Hiccup. I'm sorry. For everything. I don't know if I can make up all the time I've spent makin' you feel lousy, but I can start here by saying that what you've shown me, just now, has been far beyond what I was expecting. All of these drawings, and paintings," he said, pulling back and making a broad gesture at Hiccup's works, "They're incredible. If I hadn't known _you_ did them, I would have thought it the work of some professional artist from, from," he fumbled a bit, thinking, "from _New York_, or somewhere like that."

"Dad…"

"Listen. The point here, Hiccup, is that if this is important to you, then I'm behind you on it. And I believe you can do it. I've _always_ thought you could do great things, son, I just… You made it clear that I haven't been doin' the best job of showin' it properly. And that's not what your mother would have wanted of me."

Hiccup was at a complete and utter loss. Stoick looked far more abashed and downtrodden about the things he was saying than Hiccup could ever recall having seen him, and he stopped to take a moment and appreciate just how much Stoick had stepped beyond his comfort zone tonight, how much he'd opened up and given Hiccup the actual listening ear he'd been longing for.

Stoick took a deep breath and fixed Hiccup steadily in the eye, nodding. "I'm proud of you, Hiccup. I'm proud to call you my son."

And Hiccup could only gape before nodding back, speaking quietly and with a voice loaded with emotion. "Thanks, dad."

Stoick smiled and stood, slapping Hiccup on the back (a bit too hard), and laughing with enough force that Hiccup swore he felt the room shake. It seemed the man was trying to jump back into his usual sorts.

"I'm glad we got all this settled."

Hiccup straightened up and smiled hopefully back. "Me too, dad. I really am."

"Now," Stoick added, taking one last searching glance at Hiccup. "Is there _anything else_ on your mind that you want to talk about?"

And there it was. Just like the last time, it was an invitation that hung in the air, an invitation for Hiccup to come clean, and once again Hiccup almost felt compelled to finally come out and say it, as Stoick had just offered him the golden opportunity to do so.

But he was still scared. Especially when his thoughts drifted back to how Stoick had reacted last time as soon as Hiccup had mentioned girls, and how ridiculously enthusiastic he'd been about the apparent idea of Hiccup becoming some kind of ladies' man, as well as how crushed or upset he might be if that turned out not to be the case. And he thought to just earlier today, how he and Jack had literally _just_ become… something. And no matter how he looked at it, it just felt too soon, and he was still too scared. He couldn't.

"No." he replied, shaking his head, though he knew before the word even left his mouth that he'd already given himself away. "There isn't."

"Hiccup." Stoick replied, his voice carrying a small warning, and a ghost of that hurt look from earlier was present in his eyes. "What did we just talk about? I don't want you clamming up on me. I can tell somethin's on your mind."

He wasn't going to lie to Stoick, not after all this. But he couldn't tell him. Not now. "Okay, yes." he admitted, fidgeting in place. "Yes, there _is_ something else on my mind. But… please, dad, can we just put it off till later? I'm not ready to talk about it right now. Alright?" And he looked up at his father imploringly, hoping he would drop it.

Stoick held his gaze for a while, but finally sighed, relenting. "Alright. But promise me you _will_ talk to me about it before too long. Don't sweep this under the rug." _I want to be here for you, son._ The man wasn't sure why he couldn't seem to say that out loud.

Hiccup sighed and nodded. "Okay, dad. I'll talk to you about it at some point. Just not now."

And though he agreed, he felt absolutely terrified.

Stoick, satisfied with this answer, finally let it go. His posture relaxed, and he offered Hiccup an inviting smile. "Well, that's all settled then. Now, how about we get back to decorating the house, eh?"

Hiccup was happy to oblige. "Sure, dad."

And from that point forward, everything seemed easy, as effortless as breathing. The two Haddock men returned to the downstairs and resumed their task of Christmas decoration, stringing lights along every raised surface, interweaving them with the garlands, setting out the festive tablecloth in the kitchen, and even establishing a variety of happy decorations in the front yard. Hiccup had always been rather amused at how enthusiastic his father seemed to get about Christmas, despite no visible interest being demonstrated at any other time of the year.

As the two were able to finally enjoy each other's company without some strange wall between them, Hiccup felt a powerful joy that he was certain was only partially resultant from holiday cheer. And upon reflection, as daunting as the future may have appeared, the present was finally looking up.

Just today, Hiccup had bridged a gap with his father and, more significantly in his mind now, had confessed his feelings for the boy he'd fallen for, with said feelings actually being reciprocated. His thoughts wandered to the outing with Jack he had planned for the following day, and his mood lit up even brighter.

Stoick reminded him about inviting his friends to the upcoming Christmas party, and Hiccup was able to offer his father a warm, sincere smile that night, just before both of them decided to top the evening off with the movie channel.

There really was no way of knowing what the future held, this much was true. But for the first time in a while, Hiccup found a bright glow of optimism within him.

.

* * *

.

And several blocks away, as the Overland siblings curled up on the couch with their adoptive father, laughing at some stupid show on the comedy network, Jack began to truly believe in hope.

**.**

* * *

**.**

**And that, as they say, is that. Not much else to say here, so…**

**Lemon Biscuit. Yes.**


	12. Another Announcement!

Hey guys! Just another little announcement here! I know it's been a while since the last update (again) but yeah, the story is still definitely a thing, so don't get worried! I've been pretty swamped with other writing projects (a lot of oneshots which I might share on this site) and also caught the art bug and started focusing on some drawings for a while.

I actually just finished up a big commish, though, so I'm hoping to dedicate more time to advancing AG now. We MIGHT have an update next week (this week is Hijack Smut Week on tumblr, haha, so it's a bit distracting!).

Anyway, I just wanted to keep all my readers posted and assured that the fic was not dead! The next chapter is actually gonna be super long, too, so there's that! (And I do mean super long like maybe over 30K words wow).

So woo! Also, quick note, but

_**PLEASE DON'T REVIEW THIS CHAPTER**_

I'm gonna take this notice down when I put up the actual chapter 12, so you guys should not leave a review on this - otherwise the story will treat it as if you've already left a review for chapter 12, so that when the actual chapter goes up, you won't be able to leave one then. But if you'd like to contact me or comment on this announcement, you can always do so via PM instead!

Anyway, keep hanging in there guys!


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